Laparoscopic Excision is an Alterative Method for Rectal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rarely found in the anorectum and account for less than 0.3% of all rectal malignancies. The major treatment of rectal GISTs is complete resection of the primary tumor with negative microscopic margin. Here, we present an alternative method-laparoscopic-assisted local excision of rectal GIST. The patient had a 5 x 4 x 3 cm GIST located 4 cm above the dentate line in the right rectal wall. The tumor was mobilized by laparoscopic dissection with a clear safe margin and the specimen was removed from anus. The patient had a smooth recovery and no recurrence was observed 31 months after the procedure. This experience suggests that laparoscopic excision is a safe alternative for rectal GIST, offering the advantage of better visualization of structures and sparing the patient from unnecessary abdominoperineal resections.