Extragastrointestinal stromal tumour of the abdominal wall - a case report

Stromal tumours occurring in areas other than the GastroIntestinal Tract (GIT) are known as Extra GastroIntestinal Stromal Tumours (EGISTs). They usually arise in the mesentery, omentum or retroperitoneum, while EGISTs which occur in the abdominal wall are very rare. Both gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) and EGISTs are histologically and immunophenotypically similar. We are reporting a case of EGIST, which occurred in the anterior abdominal wall in a twenty five-year-old female patient. The tumour was present in the right loin and imaging studies suggested that it was a desmoid tumour. It was surgically excised by doing an abdominal wall mesh repair. The histological examinations revealed a tumour with spindle cell morphology, with <2 mitoses per 50 High Power Field (HPF) and no necrosis, with tumour free margins. Immunohistochemistry was strongly positive for CD117 and Smooth Muscle Actin (SMA), while it was negative for β-catenin and S100. The patient is well post operatively and is on close follow up. EGISTs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of mesenchymal tumours which occur in the abdominal wall, inspite of their rarity, as the high risk patients may need Imatinib chemotherapy.