Endoscopic ultrasonography diagnosis of gastric glomus tumors

BACKGROUND: A gastric glomus tumor is relatively rare, and there is little knowledge on its endoscopic ultrasound findings. AIM: To assess the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the diagnosis of gastric glomus tumor and to discuss its value by reviewing the literature. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the EUS characteristics of gastric glomus tumor (such as tumor location, shape, size, echogenicity, homogeneity, margins, layer of origin, and so on) was performed. The study included 12 cases of gastric glomus tumor confirmed by surgery and pathology (7 females and 5 males, age range 36-74 years, average age was 58.2 years). RESULTS: All the lesions were located in the gastric antrum (12 cases), protruding into the cavity, with a diameter between 1 and 3.5 cm. Glomus tumor of the stomach manifested as a circumscribed and slightly hypoechoic mass in the fourth layer, with an internal heterogeneous echo mixed with hyperechogenic spots and a marginal more hypoechoic halo. Smooth muscle actin, h-caldesmon and vimentin were shown to be positive by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSION: Although glomus tumor of the stomach is relatively rare, a typical glomus tumor of the stomach has characteristic changes under EUS.