Jejunal diverticulitis secondary to a gastrointestinal stromal tumor: A case report

The common manifestations of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are well established. However, jejunal diverticulosis is an uncommon phenomenon to be associated with this lesion, with its rarity compounded by the relative difficulty associated with its diagnosis. Limited literature is available on this topic. This article examines one such case of jejunal diverticulitis as a result of a GIST, and the intervention of said disease.

A 69 year old lady presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and low grade fevers, on a background of ulcerative colitis. She was peritonitic, raising concerns of an acute abdomen. Her imaging identified an intra-abdominal contained perforation, prompting a transfer to theatres overnight for a laparotomy, which identified a jejunal diverticulum, which resembled a contained perforation. This was resected, and sent for histopathological analysis, identifying the lesion as a GIST.

Unlike other forms of jejunal diverticular disease, those arising from GISTs tend to present perforated, necessitating resection. This disease displays a tendency towards formation on the anti-mesenteric border of the small bowel. Additionally, this particular form of GIST shows macroscopic and histopathological uniformity across reported cases to date despite significant geographical disparity.

A scant number of case reports worldwide have identified jejunal diverticulitis from GISTs. We suggest diverticula be excised if perforation is suspected, while incidental findings of such be left untouched. However, overall management should be undertaken at the discretion of the operating surgeon.