Clinical Management Issues (Oct 2015)
A ruptured gastrointestinal stromal tumour of the small intestine: a case report
Abstract
The management of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours (GISTs) has evolved rapidly since imatinib was introduced. Surgery remains the first-line treatment for localised, primary GIST, but the risk for local or metastatic relapse of disease is very high. Prognostic assessment is a critical part of developing a treatment strategy. Perforation or rupture of a GIST to the abdominal cavity has a very high risk for recurrence. We described the case of a 51-year-old man with a haemoperitoneum caused by a ruptured primary GIST of the small intestine. After complete surgical resection, imatinib given for two years as adjuvant therapy achieved no disease progression after prolonged follow-up.
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