Cystic gastric stromal tumors - a diagnostic dilemma?

Gastric cysts are a rare disease and their diagnostic work-up often produce s inconclusive results. We report on four gastric stromal tumors, in part h uge, with cystic degeneration where the diagnosis and organ of origin remai ned unclear until operation. Considering these tumors as examples we discus s means and limits of differential diagnosis, taking into account further d iseases with cystic formations in the gastric wall, such as other soft tiss ue tumors, pancreatic pseudocysts and gastric duplication cysts. In conclus ion, every cystic tumor in the upper abdomen for which a diagnosis and orig in cannot be established should be explored by surgery.