Gastric adenocarcinoma mimicking a submucosal tumor: A case report

BACKGROUND: Submucosal tumor (SMT)-like early-stage gastric cancer (GC) has rarely been reported. It is difficult to consider the possibility of GC and differentiate it from other submucosal lesions. CASE SUMMARY: We present the case of a 50-year-old male patient with a 1.6 cm SMT-like flat elevated lesion covered by congested mucosa on the gastric angle. Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging, endoscopic biopsy, endoscopic ultrasound, and computed tomography were performed for diagnosis. Endoscopic submucosal dissection and gastrectomy with lymph node dissection were performed. The post-resection pathological analysis led to a final diagnosis of GC (Bormann type I, T1bN2M0). CONCLUSION: GC should be considered when detecting an SMT-like lesion in the stomach.