Primary extragastrointestinal stromal tumor of the pleura: A case report

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common type of mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. The stomach and small intestine are the most common sites of occurrence. GISTs are mesenchymal neoplasms originating from the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), and are characterized by positivity for cluster of differentiation (CD) 117, also known as proto-oncogene c-Kit. While the majority of GISTs develop in the alimentary tract, in rare cases they may also be found in extragastrointestinal tissues. This type of GIST is known as an extragastrointestinal stromal tumor (EGIST). Despite the fact that EGISTs have been reported in the mesentery, omentum and retroperitoneum, primary intrathoracic EGISTs, arising from the pleura or lungs, are rare. The patient presented in the current study was a 40-year-old man, who presented with a cough and pyrexia, with pleural effusion on the left side. Multiple nodules throughout the parietal pleura were identified by thoracoscopy and a diagnosis of primary GIST of pleura was established, since they were positive for CD117 and discovered on GIST-1 and there was no evidence of gastrointestinal tumors. Subsequently, the patient was administered with imatinib and had no signs of disease recurrence 2 years later.