Gastrointestinal stromal tumor history and symptoms

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Parminder Dhingra, M.D. [2]

Overview

Symptoms of gastrointestinal stromal tumor include dysphagia, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and vague abdominal pain.

History

Obtaining history is an important aspect of making a diagnosis of GIST. It provides an insight into severity, precipitating factors and associated comorbid conditions. Complete history will help determine the correct therapy and helps in determining the prognosis. Rarely, GIST patients presenting in emergency room may be disoriented and the patient interview may be difficult. In such cases history from the care givers or the family members may need to be obtained. The areas of focus should be on onset, duration, and progression of symptoms such as

• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Appetite
• Black stools
• Hematemesis
• Drug intake such as NSAIDs
• Previous medical history (such as bleeding disorders)

Symptoms

Common Symptoms

• Majority of the GISTs are asymptomatic. Patients with GIST who have symptoms are generally non specific.
• In addition. the symptoms of GISTs depends upon the tumor size and location.

• • Dysphagia (esophageal GIST)
  • Gastrointestinal hemorrhage presenting with black stools or hematemesis
  • Vague abdominal pain or discomfort
  • Constipation (colorectal GIST)
  • Jaundice (duodenal GIST)
  • Abdominal fullness or early satiety

Less Common Symptoms

Intra-abdominal hemorrhage is uncommon, but when it occurs, can lead to symptoms of iron deficiency anemia such as:

• Malaise
• Fatigue
• Dyspnea

References

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