Skeletal muscle metastasis from a gastrointestinal stromal tumor: A case report

RATIONALE: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Common sites for metastasis are the liver and peritoneum, whereas skeletal muscle metastases are rare. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 59-year-old man with skeletal muscle metastasis was diagnosed during a period of adjuvant imatinib therapy following the recurrence of GIST of the small intestine. DIAGNOSIS: The patient was diagnosed with skeletal muscle metastasis of GIST based on immunohistochemistry and molecular pathology analysis results. INTERVENTION: Extensive resection of the left thigh tumor was performed. The patient underwent whole-exome sequencing of tissue examination. The results suggest that resistance to imatinib may have been developed, and the patient was therefore administered sunitinib instead. OUTCOMES: Complete remission was observed following sunitinib therapy. LESSONS: In cases of skeletal muscle metastasis diagnosed during a period of adjuvant imatinib therapy following the recurrence of a GIST of the small intestine, whole exome sequencing may be used to discover more gene variations.