2013 Volume 33 Issue 5 Pages 891-894
A-59-year-old woman who presented with anemia and massive intestinal bleeding was admitted to our hospital for further examination. Upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopic examinations revealed no abnormal findings. Contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography revealed a tumor measuring about 2 cm in diameter in the proximal jejunum, which was well-stained in the arterial phase. Emergency operation was performed because of progressive anemia, based on the diagnosis of massive bleeding from a GIST of the small intestine. Laparotomy revealed an extramurally growing tumor in the small intestine, 30 cm from the Treitz's ligament. Partial resection of the small intestine was performed. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen revealed a low-grade GIST measuring 20×15mm diameter arising from the jejunum. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient remains healthy, without any evidence of recurrence. Among the cases of GIST with massive intestinal bleeding reported in Japan, the tumor diameter in the present case was the smallest. GIST usually grows extramurally and is asymptomatic when it is small in size. However, it must be borne in mind that small GISTs can also occasionally cause massive intestinal bleeding.
