Abstract
Background : The Japanese Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) therapeutic guidelines recommend histopathological diagnosis of gastric submucosal tumors measuring 20-50 mm in size or with malignant findings. However, histopathological diagnosis of gastric submucosal tumors is difficult. In the present study, we investigated the usefulness of mucosal cutting biopsy for the diagnosis of these tumors.
Patients and methods : Mucosal cutting biopsy was carried out for 3 gastric submucosal tumors, and the histopathological diagnosis and complications were examined. In cases that were treated by surgical resection, we compared the pre- and postoperative histopathological diagnoses.
Results : Histological diagnosis of submucosal tumor was obtained in all the cases. In all 3 patients, the histological diagnosis was GIST. In all three who underwent surgical resection, the histopathological findings of the mucosal cutting biopsy specimens were consistent with those of the surgically resected specimens.
No complications were seen after this procedure.
Conclusions : The mucosal cutting biopsy technique is a useful diagnostic modality for histological diagnosis of submucosal tumors of the stomach.
