Leiomyosarcoma of the stomach: A case report

BACKGROUND: Leiomyosarcoma of the stomach is extremely rare, and only 13 cases have been reported in the literature. Before the advent of KIT immunohistochemistry, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) were misdiagnosed as leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas. Leiomyosarcoma rarely occurs in organs besides the uterus and is rarely located in the stomach. CASE SUMMARY: A 57-year-old woman presented with the symptom of melena over a one-month period. She had suffered weight loss, weakness, nausea and vomiting for fifteen days. At a local hospital, computed tomography showed a very large mass in the stomach, and the results of endoscopic examination and histopathological diagnosis were unclear. She received transfusion therapy and was transferred to our hospital. Upon arrival at our hospital, the patient was anemic. She denied any family history and had no specific past history. No signs of pulmonary metastasis were found on chest radiographs. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography confirmed a very large tumor in the stomach, and no visible signs of metastatic disease were found. On October 30, 2013, the patient underwent resection of the stomach tumor and did not undergo any adjuvant treatment. The margins were negative and she had an uneventful recovery and was discharged after 12 d. One year after surgery, the patient died at home, and the cause of death were gastrointestinal obstruction and malnutrition. During that time, she was treated with Chinese medicine but the effect was not ideal. Because of gastrointestinal obstruction, the patient did not receive any re-examination. CONCLUSION: Surgical resection is the standard treatment for gastric leiomyosarcoma. The diagnosis of this tumor mainly depends on histopathological examination. This case may suggest the aggressive behavior and poor prognosis of this tumor.