Giant 10 cm Diameter Esophageal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST)

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a relatively rare type of cancer that affects an estimated 5000 to 10,000 new people each year in the US. Most GIST tumors develop in the stomach; but they can also arise in the small intestine, colon and rectum, esophagus or abdominal cavity. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most common mesenchymal, nonepithelial tumors of the gastrointestinal tract in adults between 40 and 50 years of age. Esophageal GIST, in contrast, is rare, amounting to 12.7% - 28% of mesenchymal esophageal tumors or 2% of all GISTs and their diagnosis and management are still challenging, as illustrated in the following case. However here we report a rare case of a 43-year-old female patient who was referred to our department complaining with a 1-month history of atypical chest pain and productive cough. A chest computed tomographic scan and endoscopic ultrasound revealed a submucosal esophageal tumor measuring 100 × 80 × 40 mm in its largest diameter, we performed enucleation via left thoracotomy.