Identifying Small Bowel Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor as the Culprit Lesion in Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Emphasis on Angiographic Findings

Abstract

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are not uncommon and often cause gastrointestinal bleeding. GISTs occurring in the small intestine are occasionally difficult to identify by endoscopy and CT. In this case, the patient underwent CT three times before surgery, and the lesion was found to be located in a different area of the abdominal cavity on each CT scan. Moreover, the lesion was missed in the first two CT images because it was difficult to distinguish it from the nearby collapsed small intestine. The lesion was eventually detected through angiography; however, the correct diagnosis and treatment were delayed for 3 years because it was mistaken for a vascular malformation, which is the most common cause of obscure GI bleeding in elderly patients. This report emphasizes the need for interventional radiologists to be updated and vigilant of the angiographic features of GISTs to make an accurate diagnosis and establish a management strategy.

Keywords

• gastrointestinal stromal tumor
• small intestine
• gastrointestinal hemorrhage
• angiography