Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Isolation of CD 90+ Fibroblast/Myofibroblasts from Human Frozen Gastrointestinal Specimens
Published on: January 31, 2016
Solitary infantile gastrointestinal myofibroma: case report
Rodrigo Menéndez-Arzac1, David Valdez-Méndez, Rodolfo Landa
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital General Dr Manuel Gea Gonzalez, México City, Mexico. rmenendez@prodigy.net.mx
Insights
A rare gastrointestinal myofibroma caused an emergency intestinal obstruction in a 7-year-old child. This solitary tumor is exceptionally rare, with fewer than 10 cases documented globally.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Gastrointestinal Pathology
- Oncology
Background:
- Acute abdomen in children often necessitates emergency surgical intervention.
- Appendicitis is a common cause, but other intra-abdominal pathologies must be considered.
- Intestinal obstruction presents a surgical emergency requiring prompt diagnosis and management.
Observation:
- A 7-year-old child presented with symptoms of acute abdomen, initially suspected to be acute appendicitis.
- Emergency laparotomy revealed a small bowel tumor causing intestinal occlusion.
- The tumor was identified as a solitary gastrointestinal myofibroma.
Findings:
- Gastrointestinal myofibromas are exceedingly rare mesenchymal neoplasms.
- Solitary presentations are particularly uncommon, with limited cases reported in the literature.
- This case highlights a unique instance of a pediatric gastrointestinal myofibroma causing significant morbidity.
Implications:
- This case expands the known clinical spectrum of gastrointestinal myofibromas.
- It underscores the importance of considering rare pathologies in pediatric surgical emergencies.
- Further research into the etiology and management of these rare tumors is warranted.
Abstract:
We report a case of a 7-year-old child who required emergency surgery for acute abdomen and suspected acute appendicitis. During surgery a tumor located in the small bowel that caused intestinal occlusion was found. Histopathologic analysis showed a solitary gastrointestinal myofibroma. This is a very rare tumor, especially as a single lesion, because in world literature, there are less than 10 cases reported.