Introduction:

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most frequent mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract, representing 0.1 to 3% of all gastrointestinal neoplasms. These tumors are mainly located in the stomach and small intestine (70 to 90%). Most of them are asymptomatic and are mostly incidental findings. However, there is a group of cases in which the main manifestation is gastrointestinal bleeding (hematemesis), which is often regarded as being ‘‘of unknown origin’’.

Case description:

A 55-year old male, with a medical history of type 2 diabetes and arterial hypertension, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and gastritis. He was seen in the hospital with diffuse abdominal pain, postprandial fullness, and episodes of hematemesis. Laboratory findings showed, hemoglobin 9.3 g/dL, hematocrit 28.5%, platelets 324 × 103, white cells 11.5 × 103, glucose 183 mg/dL, creatinine 1.1 mg/dL, and albumin 4.4 g/dL. Contrasted CT and gastroscopy revealed a sub-epithelial mass with defined borders located on the greater curvature of the gastric body, 5-6 cm in diameter, and signs suggestive of ulceration. R0 resection was performed accompanied by immunomodulatory therapy with imatinib, bringing the total remission a year and a half after starting treatment.