MULTIPLE BENIGN STROMAL CELL TUMORS OF THE SMALL-BOWEL

A rare case of multiple small intestinal stromal cell tumours is descr ibed in a 79 year old woman who presented with melaena and anaemia. At surgery, about 40 lesions were noted on the serosal surface of the sm all intestine, the largest of these tumours being located in the mid-j ejunum. This lesion showed central necrosis and haemorrhage with a sin us opening into the jejunal lumen. Histological examination of this je junal tumour showed epithelioid and spindle shaped cells. A smaller bi opsied tumour was a pure spindle cell lesion. Both lesions fitted the criteria for benign stromal cell tumours. Although skenoid fibres were identified, the immunophenotype was characteristically heterogenous. Multiple benign small intestinal tumours can raise the spectre of meta stases when seen at surgery, although their presence in this case does not seem to indicate this.