Large duodenal GIST with massive liver secondaries melting under Imatinib: a case report

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GIST) have become a well established entity and its taxonomy is no more ambiguous. Better understanding of the cell of origin and immunohistochmical markers have made this possible. Their treatment has been revolutionized with the advent of targeted molecular therapy, namely Imatinib mesylate. Herein we report a rare and interesting case of a thirty year old South Indian Lady with an extremely large Duodenal GIST with massive Liver secondaries. The phenomenon of metastatic GIST responding to Imatinib mesylate is not new. What is interesting in this case is the enormous tumor load at the time of presentation as exemplified by the cross sectional images. This kind of tumor response and patient survival deserves documentation.