Management of gastrointestinal stromal tumor and acute appendicitis during pregnancy: A case report

Abstract

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are neoplasms of neural cells in the gastrointestinal tract; they typically develop in older adults, with less than 10% of cases presenting among patients under the age of 40. This report describes the clinical course and management of a 28-year-old woman with a history of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who presented with acute upper abdominal pain. Surgical pathology confirmed a diagnosis of metastatic GIST. The patient underwent imatinib therapy and subsequent surgical tumor debulking. Postoperatively, she presented with acute appendicitis, for which she eventually required appendectomy, and she became pregnant approximately 1 year after the initial diagnosis. This case highlights several treatment challenges that may be encountered in young patients presenting with GIST.