2667 Can't You GIST Move Over?

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are a common mesenchymal tumor of the GI tract. Here we present a case of a 60-year-old male with a 33.5 × 27 cm GIST arising from the greater stomach curvature, increased in size from 18.1 × 13.4 cm in five months; an alarming growth rate for a tumor known to grow slowly. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: 60-year-old male with history of GIST and HTN presented to the hospital with abdominal pain and shortness of breath. Physical exam revealed decreased bowel sounds and diffuse tenderness to palpation in the right and left lower quadrants. Patient had previously been diagnosed with a 18.1 × 13.4 cm GIST 5 months prior, and was positive for CKIT (CD117) and DOG1, with 6 mitotic figures/21 HPFs (Figure 1). The patient was lost to follow up and never started on Imatinib. Over a span of five months, the necrotic mass had doubled in size with a repeat CT scan on admission showing a 33.5 × 27 cm GIST (Figures 2 and 3) arising from the greater stomach curvature, invading the left hepatic lobe and compressing the inferior vena cava (IVC). During this admission, he was also found to have bilateral pulmonary embolism, with large clot burden and right heart strain. An IVC filter would have been ideal for prevention of further clot migration, however the compression of the IVC by enlarging GIST prevented intervention. Patient was treated with heparin and started on Imatinib as an outpatient, patient is doing well and following with oncology. DISCUSSION: GISTs can be found in any part of the gastrointestinal tract, with predominance in the stomach. GISTs are often asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally or they may present with nonspecific symptoms such as early satiety, abdominal pain, anemia, GI bleed or gastric outlet obstruction. Treatment options are dictated by risk of progression which is determined by size (≥3 cm), location, and mitotic count. [1] While the exact rate of tumor growth is unknown, studies have shown a range of 1.2 to 50.7% per annum [2]. On representation to the hospital five months after initial diagnosis, our patients’ mass had increased in size by 54% which surpasses documented growth rates. His mass also created significant compression and prevented integral placement of an IVC filter. While GIST tumors are traditionally thought to be slow growing tumors our case highlights the importance of earlier intervention in high-risk patients; metastatic and compressive complications could have been avoided for this patient had he returned for initial follow-up.