Gastric lipoma: a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleed

Abstract

Lipoma is a rare mesenchymal tumour of stomach (less than 1% of gastric tumours) to present as gastrointestinal bleed. We report a case of upper gastrointestinal bleed from a gastric lipoma in a 42 year male patient who underwent distal gastrectomy for resection of the large submucosal tumour situated in antropyloric region. Most common age of presentation of gastric lipoma is fifth or sixth decade of life and most of these are located in submucosal plane (90% cases) and in antropyloric region (75% cases). Gastric lipomas can be diagnosed by endoscopic means but most often with CT scan which shows characteristic fat attenuation. Small asymptomatic incidentally diagnosed can be safely observed while larger symptomatic tumours are treated by endoscopic or surgical resection which offers cure from this benign lesion.