Gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the stomach mimicking adrenal tumor: a case report

A gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the stomach mimicking an adrenal tumor in a 67-year-old woman is reported. The patient sought medical attention for left flank pain in December 2001. A spherical calcification was evident in the left hypochondrium in an abdominal radiography, and computed tomography revealed a mass 8 cm in diameter at the upper pole of the left kidney. She then was admitted to our hospital. Physical examination and laboratory screening showed hypertension, diabetes mellitus and slight hemoconcentration. Endocrine examination showed normal serum adrenal hormone concentrations. Magnetic resonance imaging again demonstrated the mass, which showed enhancement along its margins after intravenous contrast administration. With a preoperative diagnosis of adrenal tumor, we performed total resection. The pediculated tumor, arising from the stomach, showed c-kit immunohistochemical staining permitting a histopathological diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor.