Atypical Characteristics and Behavior of GIST

Abstract

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), constituting digestive neoplasms, typically have a favorable prognosis, although occasional distant extension can occur. The main prognostic factors associated with GISTs are described as lesion size and the number of mitoses per field. These lesions primarily metastasize to the liver, omentum, and peritoneum, with lymphatic dissemination being exceptionally rare. Although the presence of lymph node involvement has been identified as an independent predictor of mortality, since it is an infrequent finding, further studies are needed to understand its prognostic and therapeutic implications. This clinical case describes the approach to a 75-year-old patient with no significant medical history presenting with gastric GIST, who notably had multiple tumor-associated lymph nodes on staging studies, requiring treatment with Imatinib.

Keywords: GIST, metastases, adenopathy.