Massive gastrointestinal bleeding caused by stromal tumour of the jejunum.

G astrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are rare and specific tumours of the gastrointestinal system that originate from Cajal cells located in different sites of the digestive tract. They may originate from the omentum and peritoneum, but are commonly located in the stomach and small bowel. These tumours are frequently small, asymptomatic and found incidentally; they may be benign or cancerous tumours. Frightening symptoms such as massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding or acute abdominal pain are unusual. Small lesions are usually asymptomatic. In the last 3 decades, these tumours have been classified into various types such as leiomyomas, leiomyosarcomas and leiomyoblastomas, as a subgroup of smooth muscle–cell tumours. Some electron microscopic studies showed that GISTs have different characteristics. Generally, these tumours can be detected incidentally during other surgical procedures, on computed tomography (CT) scans or during routine endoscopic examinations. Massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a rare and unusual symptom of GISTs, especially in young patients.