Abstract
The patient was a 73-year-old woman who was examined at our hospital for abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a cystic lesion in the pelvis suspected to be continuous with the intestinal tract. Pelvic abscess was diagnosed and conservative treatment resulted in marked reduction in the size of the abscess cavity and improvement of the inflammatory reaction. Contrast study of the small intestine showed a shadow of an elevated tumor in the small intestine approximately 1 m from the ligament of Treitz, leading to a diagnosis of small intestinal tumor with pelvic abscess. Partial resection of the small intestine was performed laparoscopically. As the tumor was observed in the small intestine approximately 1 m from the ligament of Treitz, the portion of the intestinal tract including the tumor was resected outside the abdominal cavity following endoscopic isolation. Histopathological examination provided a definitive diagnosis of GIST originating in the small intestine with abscess formation. When treating GIST, it is important that complete resection including the capsule is performed while avoiding capsule rupture. In cases of small intestinal GIST with abscess formation such as in the present patient, conservative treatment to reduce the abscess cavity prior to resection was thought to enable both safe and complete resection to be performed.
