Value of endoscopic ultrasonography for upper gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a single center experience

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the rarely seen tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of the present study was to review the patients diagnosed as upper gastrointestinal stromal tumor by endoscopic ultrasonography.

Twenty-five patients diagnosed as upper gastrointestinal stromal tumor, between 1999 and 2004, were reviewed retrospectively.

The reason for performing upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy was nonspecific upper gastrointestinal system symptoms in most (76%) of the patients. The other causes were upper gastrointestinal bleeding and dysphagia in 16% and 8% of the cases, respectively. Lesions were located in the stomach in 17 (68%), in the esophagus in six (24%), and in the duodenum in two (8%) patients. Endoscopic ultrasonographic evaluation revealed that all of the lesions arose from the muscularis propria. In 18 (72%) patients, tumors were less than 3 cm in diameter, homogeneous and hypoechoic in appearance with regular borders, concordant with benign tumor. In five (20%) patients, lesions had heterogeneous echoic appearance with anechoic spaces, two of which were larger than 3 cm and also showed irregular borders, suggesting malignancy. Surgical therapy was performed in five (20%) patients because of upper gastrointestinal bleeding or suspicion of malignancy by endoscopic ultrasonographic evaluation. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis in all these patients.

Endoscopic ultrasonographic evaluation is very useful in diagnosis and for choosing the therapeutic method for patients with upper gastrointestinal stromal tumor.