Abdominal wall recurrence of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor: case report

The gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are mesenchymal tumors, most commonly affecting the stomach and small bowel. Only few cases of port-site recurrence after laparoscopic treatment have been reported. We herein report the case of a parietal recurrence on the extraction incision site, 7 years after laparoscopic surgery for small bowel GIST.

A 47 years-old female patient was hospitalized in November 2007 for isolated pelvic pain. CT scan showed an intestinal tumor with a benign aspect measuring 50 mm. A laparoscopy-assisted resection was performed. Surgical exploration found a 7 cm small bowel tumor. It was extracted through a supra-pubic transversal incision without a wound protector and then resected. Histologic analysis revealed an intestinal GIST with high aggressive potential (five mitosis per field), with CD117 positive at the immunohistochemical examination. The patient had no adjuvant chemotherapy. Seven years later, the patient was readmitted for an abdominal mass at the site of the supra-pubic scar. Abdomino-pelvic CT scan showed a 10 × 7.5 cm solid mass of the abdominal wall. Percutaneous biopsies were done and the pathological analysis revealed a mesenchymal-cell tumor, positive to CD117 and DOG1 at the immunohistochemical examination. Final diagnosis was abdominal wall recurrence of GIST secondary to tumor-contamination during the first surgery.

Abdominal wall recurrence of GIST after laparoscopic surgery is rarely reported. This complication should be avoided with preventive measures such as the use of extraction bags or wound protectors.