Agrawal H, Dwivedi G, Rohitaj R, Tanwar H, Maurya S, Gupta N. Integrating artificial intelligence in the diagnostic pathway of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumors: A case report. Artif Intell Gastroenterol 2026; 7(1): 115054 [DOI: 10.35712/aig.v7.i1.115054]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Nikhil Gupta, Department of Surgery, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001, Delhi, India. nikhil_ms26@yahoo.co.in
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
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/
Himanshu Agrawal, Garima Dwivedi, Rahul Rohitaj, Himanshu Tanwar, Shailender Maurya, Department of Surgery, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, New Delhi 110095, Delhi, India
Nikhil Gupta, Department of Surgery, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi 110001, Delhi, India
Author contributions: Agrawal H contributed to conceptualization; patient assessment and clinical management, data curation and writing-original draft; Dwivedi G contributed to literature review, methodology, write the case history and discussion section, and make pictures and tables; Rohitaj R contributed to diagnostic work-up, imaging/Lab collation, data curation; Rohitaj R, Tanwar H, Maurya S, and Gupta N contributed to writing - review and editing; Tanwar H contributed to supervision, clinical oversight, and validation; Maurya S contributed to resources, project administration, patient follow-up and documentation, and ethics/consent coordination; Gupta N contributed to methodology, procedural/operative input and interpretation, and visualization. All authors approved the final manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
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: Nikhil Gupta, Department of Surgery, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001, Delhi, India. nikhil_ms26@yahoo.co.in
Received: October 9, 2025 Revised: October 28, 2025 Accepted: December 1, 2025 Published online: January 8, 2026 Processing time: 92 Days and 1.6 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms primarily originating in the stomach or small intestine. Duodenal GISTs are particularly uncommon, accounting for only a small fraction of GIST cases. These tumors often present with nonspecific symptoms, making early detection challenging. This case discusses a duodenal GIST misdiagnosed as pancreatic cancer due to obstructive jaundice.
CASE SUMMARY
A 40-year-old male with jaundice and abdominal symptoms underwent imaging, which suggested a malignant periampullary tumor. Preoperative misdiagnosis of pancreatic cancer was made, and surgery was performed. Postoperative histopathology confirmed a duodenal GIST. The role of artificial intelligence in the diagnostic pathway is explored, emphasizing its potential to differentiate between duodenal GISTs and other similar conditions using advanced imaging analysis.
CONCLUSION
Artificial intelligence in radiomic imaging holds significant promise in enhancing the diagnostic process for rare cancers like duodenal GISTs, ensuring timely and accurate treatment.
Core Tip: Duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare and often mimic periampullary or pancreatic tumors, leading to misdiagnosis, especially when presenting with obstructive jaundice. This case highlights how artificial intelligence (AI) could significantly enhance preoperative diagnosis by analyzing subtle imaging features that differentiate GISTs from other malignancies. AI-driven radiomics and deep learning models can improve tumor characterization, predict biological behavior, and guide timely treatment decisions. Integrating AI into diagnostic workflows may prevent unnecessary major surgeries and improve outcomes in rare gastrointestinal tumors like duodenal GISTs.