Gastric glomus tumor

Abstract

Gastric glomus tumors are rare, mesenchymal neoplasms, generally described as benign and account for nearly 1% of all gastrointestinal soft tissue tumors. The most common gastrointestinal site of involvement is the stomach, particularly the antrum. Gastric glomus tumors are submucosal tumors that lack specific clinical and endoscopic characteristics, and are often mistaken for the more common gastrointestinal stromal tumors. A 62-year-old Caucasian female presented with shortness of breath and a persistent cough. Clinical workup revealed a mass in the upper abdomen. After endoscopic ultrasound and fine needle aspiration raised concerns for cancer, the patient elected to proceed with exploratory laparotomy. A local resection was performed at the time of surgery. Pathologic and immunohistochemical findings following surgical resection were consistent with a gastric glomus tumor. Consideration of gastric glomus tumors in the differential diagnosis may optimize the chance for a more accurate preoperative diagnosis and targeted surgical intervention.