A case of malignant hemangioendothelioma of the stomach

A case of malignant hemangioendothelioma of the stomach is reported. The patient was a 21-year-old female who developed bloody stool. Pathological studies on the stomach revealed a gastric submucosal tumor. This tumor was growing on the outside of the stomach wall and formed a large abdominal mass. Evidence of metastases was detected in the liver, omentum and parietovisceral peritoneum. Biopsies were taken of the gastric mucosa and the metastatic lesions of the liver and omentum, and histological studies on these specimens led to the diagnosis of malignant hemangioendothelioma. A laparoscopic examination yielded very interesting findings: the presence of small red tumors on the omentum and the parietovisceral peritoneum. The usefulness of laparoscopic examination in the diagnosis of malignant hemangioendothelioma of the stomach is stressed.