Life Threatening Bleeding from a Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour: a Case Report

LIFE THREATENING BLEEDING FROM A GASTROINTESTINAL STROMAL TUMOUR: A CASE REPORT (Abstract): Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are rare tumours of the gastrointestinal tract. They can cause massive gastrointestinal haemorrhage as illustrated in our case. Our patient was admitted to the emergency in shock due to massive haematochezia. The patient was revived with multiple transfusions and crystalloids. 99m-Tc labeled Red Blood Cells (RBC) scan showed bleeding from right upper quadrant of abdomen. Laparotomy revealed a tumour in jejunum which was resected and proved to be GIST by immunohistochemistry. The patient improved dramatically after surgery and his haemoglobin level stabilized at 10g/dL. Repeat RBC scan revealed that there was no bleeding. The postoperative recovery was uneventful. CONCLUSION: GISTs are rare but clinical important tumours. As in our case they can cause life threatening bleeding. Intensive care to stabilize the patient and modern diagnostic methods like RBC scan has proved invaluable. Segmental enterectomy has been the definitive treatment the tumour and the gastrointestinal haemorrhage.