[Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Our experience]

Nine cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) observed in the period between 1993 and 1999 and treated with radical surgery are presented. Patients were studied with instrumental examinations (ultrasonography, TC, EGDS, RSCS, endoscopic ultra-sound) which permitted to make a temporary diagnosis of "suspect gastric or bowel neoplasm". Only after surgical resection of the neoplasm it was possible to make a definitive diagnosis, based on histologic examination of the operating piece. According to personal experience and literature data, we could affirm that GISTs' clinical manifestations are extremely heterogeneous and so these tumors are often diagnosed casually. Prognosis isn't correlated as much to neoplasm histologic and cytologic characteristics, as to next organs infiltration, which represents a sign of particular aggressiveness of lesions.