Wang P, Zhu CR, Yao J, Xu P, Zhang K, Zhu J, Ge XY, Chen Y, Wang WZ. Primary extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the gallbladder: A case report. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(45): 113690 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i45.113690]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jie Yao, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University, No. 98 Nantong West Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu Province, China. dryaojie@yzu.edu.cn
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Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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Case Report
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Dec 7, 2025 (publication date) through Dec 6, 2025
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World Journal of Gastroenterology
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1007-9327
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Wang P, Zhu CR, Yao J, Xu P, Zhang K, Zhu J, Ge XY, Chen Y, Wang WZ. Primary extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the gallbladder: A case report. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(45): 113690 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i45.113690]
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2025; 31(45): 113690 Published online Dec 7, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i45.113690
Primary extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the gallbladder: A case report
Peng Wang, Chang-Ren Zhu, Jie Yao, Peng Xu, Ke Zhang, Jie Zhu, Xin-Yu Ge, Yuan Chen, Wang-Zheng Wang
Peng Wang, Jie Yao, Ke Zhang, Jie Zhu, Xin-Yu Ge, Yuan Chen, Wang-Zheng Wang, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu Province, China
Chang-Ren Zhu, Department of Pathology, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu Province, China
Peng Xu, Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 22500, Jiangsu Province, China
Co-first authors: Peng Wang and Chang-Ren Zhu.
Co-corresponding authors: Jie Yao and Peng Xu.
Author contributions: Wang P and Zhu CR are responsible for case diagnosis, manuscript drafting, and critical revision for important intellectual content, and they contribute equally to this study as co-first authors; Zhang K, Zhu J, Ge XY, Chen Y and Wang WZ contributed to data collection, histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses, imaging interpretation, literature review, and preparation of tables and figures; Xu P and Yao J were responsible for study conception and design and they contribute equally to this study as co-corresponding authors.
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jie Yao, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University, No. 98 Nantong West Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu Province, China. dryaojie@yzu.edu.cn
Received: September 1, 2025 Revised: September 27, 2025 Accepted: October 22, 2025 Published online: December 7, 2025 Processing time: 93 Days and 20.4 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract, predominantly arising in the stomach (approximately 60%) and small intestine (approximately 30%), and accounting for 1%-3% of all gastrointestinal malignancies. In most cases, GISTs originate within the gastrointestinal tract; However, in rare instances, they may develop in extra-GISTs (EGISTs). Among these, gallbladder-derived EGISTs are exceedingly uncommon, with only nine cases reported to date.
CASE SUMMARY
We present the case of a 66-year-old woman who presented with recurrent right upper quadrant abdominal pain and subsequently underwent cholecystectomy. Histopathological examination with immunohistochemistry revealed CD117(+), DOG-1(+), and CD34(+), with no evidence of a primary gastrointestinal lesion, thereby confirming the diagnosis of primary gallbladder EGIST. According to the 2017 Chinese consensus on GISTs, based on the modified NIH 2008 criteria, the tumor was classified as very low risk. Consequently, the patient did not receive adjuvant targeted therapy such as imatinib, and the patient remained disease-free during a 6-month follow up.
CONCLUSION
Primary gallbladder EGISTs are exceedingly rare, with insidious onset and nonspecific clinical manifestations. Histopathological examination combined with immunohistochemistry remains the cornerstone of definitive diagnosis.
Core Tip: Primary extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumor (EGIST) of the gallbladder is exceptionally rare, with only a handful of cases reported worldwide. We describe a 66-year-old female patient diagnosed with gallbladder EGIST, confirmed by immunohistochemical staining for CD117(+), DOG-1(+), and CD34(+). The tumor was classified as very low risk based on the modified NIH criteria and Chinese consensus guidelines, and the patient remained recurrence-free at follow-up. This case underscores the diagnostic challenges and clinical significance of gallbladder EGISTs, highlighting the importance of integrating imaging, pathology, and risk stratification for optimal management.
