Mesenteric gastrointestinal stromal tumour presenting as intracranial space occupying lesion

Abstract

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) usually present with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal mass, pain, anorexia and bowel obstruction. Methods: We report a case of a 42 year old male who presented with a solitary intracranial space occupying lesion which was established as a metastasis from a mesenteric tumour. Results: The patient was initially treated as a metastatic sarcoma, but a lack of response to chemotherapy prompted testing for CD117 which returned positive. A diagnosis of mesenteric GIST presenting as solitary brain metastasis was made, and the patient was treated with imatinib. Conclusion: We recommend that all sarcomas with either an intraabdominal or unknown origin be routinely tested for CD117 to rule out GIST. © 2006 Puri et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.