Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2005; 11(33): 5226-5228
Published online Sep 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i33.5226
Localized intra-abdominal fibromatosis of the small bowel mimicking a gastrointestinal stromal tumor: A case report
Pierigiuseppe Colombo, Daoud Rahal, Fabio Grizzi, Vittorio Quagliuolo, Massimo Roncalli
Pierigiuseppe Colombo, Daoud Rahal, Massimo Roncalli, Department of Pathology, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
Fabio Grizzi, Scientific Direction, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
Vittorio Quagliuolo, Department of General Surgery, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
Massimo Roncalli, University of Milan School of Medicine, Milan, Italy
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Pierigiuseppe Colombo, MD, Department of Pathology, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano MI, Italy. piergiuseppe.colombo@humanitas.it
Telephone: +39-2-82244712 Fax: +39-2-82244791
Received: October 13, 2004
Revised: December 5, 2004
Accepted: December 9, 2004
Published online: September 7, 2005
Abstract

Intra-abdominal fibromatosis (IAF) is a benign mesenchymal lesion that can occur throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Although rare, it is the most common primary tumor of the mesentery and can develop at any age. We describe a rare case of primary IAF involving the mesentery and small bowel which clinically, macroscopically and histologically mimicked malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). This report highlights the fact that benign IAF can be misdiagnosed as a malignant GIST localized in the mesentery or arising from the intestinal wall. Their diagnostic discrimination is essential because of their very different biological behaviors and the fact that the introduction of effective therapies involving tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI571 (imatinib mesylate) has greatly changed the clinical approach to intra-abdominal stromal spindle cell tumors.

Keywords: Intra-abdominal fibromatosis; Gastrointestinal tract; Gastrointestinal stromal tumor