ISPUB.COM The Internet Journal of Surgery Volume 20 Number 2 1 of 4 Presentations of Gastro-Intestinal Stromal Tumours: Experiences from a tertiary care level hospital in Eastern India S Pandey, D Sarkar, S Lahiri, K Sarkar Citation S Pandey, D Sarkar, S Lahiri, K Sarkar. Presentations of Gastro-Intestinal Stromal Tumours: Experiences from a tertiary care level hospital in Eastern India. The Internet Journal of Surgery. 2008 Volume 20 Number 2. Abstract Eighteen patients of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (diagnosed on histopathohology) were studied retrospectively. The period of study extended over sixty months. It takes into account the age, distribution, mode of presentation, diagnostic modalities, treatment including surgery and the role of Imatinib. It also analyses the recurrence pattern and risk categorization of the cases. Finally it brings to forefront the vital role of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis and management of these lesions. INTRODUCTION Gastrointestinal stromal tumours are the most common non- epithelial neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. They are increasingly diagnosed today because of better diagnostic orientation of the clinicians, radiologists and pathologists. This prompted us to put forward our experiences in managing GIST. AIM OF STUDY To present the distribution, clinical presentations, diagnostic modalities, management and follow-up of our patients. METHODOLOGY The study is a retrospective analysis of the patients diagnosed histopathologically with stromal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract. Detailed history was taken as regards the age, sex, mode of presentation, site of the lesion, management modalities (all underwent local resection; some received adjuvant treatment) and pathology (histopathology and immunohistochemistry). RESULTS Eighteen cases of GIST were studied over a period of four years (2004 to 2009). Of these, fourteen were males and four females. The age of the patients ranged from 30 to 70 years. The mean age was found to be 51.5 years. Figure 1 Table 1 All but one patients presented with some form of gastrointestinal bleeding (haematemesis, melaena, hematochezia, etc.). Three patients also had palpable lumps and three had dyspepsia; one patient presented with intestinal obstruction and one patient had complaints of difficulty in defaecation. Figure 2 Table 2 The locations of the tumours in the gastrointestinal tract were as follows: seven in the stomach, four in the duodenum, one in the duodenojejunal flexure, four in jejunum/ileum, one in sigmoid colon and one in the rectum.