Published online Jan 16, 2014. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v2.i1.9
Revised: December 24, 2013
Accepted: January 7, 2014
Published online: January 16, 2014
Processing time: 57 Days and 15.4 Hours
Gastrointestinal stroma tumours (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumour in the digestive tract and commonly found in the stomach. The patient described in this report presented with collapse and a palpable abdominal mass. He was found to have a large gastric GIST that penetrated through the mesocolon. Resection of the GIST was technically challenging but facilitated by a new generation ultrasonic scalpel device. In resection of gastric cancer the use of ultrasonic scalpels has been shown to reduce operating time, blood loss and length of stay. We feel that in technically challenging cases of gastric GIST the use of an ultrasonic scalpel device may be justified as well.
Core tip: This case report about a giant gastric gastrointestinal stroma tumours focuses on surgical technique. Because of its bulk the giant tumour was penetrating through the transverse mesocolon. Dissecting the tumour of the mesocolon and avoiding a concomitant colectomy was facilitated by using a new generation ultrasonic scalpel device.