Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the stomach in an adult woman: a rare intermittent cause of gastric outlet obstruction

Background. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor is a neoplasm of intermediate biological potential that frequently recurs and rarely metastasizes. Case report. We report a rare case of intermittent gastric outlet obstruction by an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the cardia. Results. A 56-year-old woman presented at the gastroenterology department with a two-day history of hematemesis and melena. She had intermittent nausea and vomiting complaints, which had manifested periodically for about five months. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy demonstrated a mass of 6 cm in diameter, which was resected. Histological examination revealed ulcerated mucosal granulation-like tissue with myofibroblastic spindle cell proliferation in a storiform pattern. Conclusions. In order to avoid unnecessary aggressive therapy, gastric IMT should be taken into account when a gastric mass accompanied by the various clinical manifestations of IMT is found in an adult. Free full text available at www.tumorionline.it