Endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of gastric glomus tumors

BackgroundAlthough gastric glomus tumors are usually benign lesions, occasional malignant transformation has been reported. Thus, complete resection of the gastric glomus tumor is necessary.ObjectiveTo provide a better understanding of the endoscopic features of this rare entity with an emphasis on its diagnosis and treatment.DesignRetrospective case series.SettingAcademic medical center.PatientsSix patients (2 men, 4 women; median age 48 years) received a diagnosis of gastric glomus tumor and were treated.InterventionsEndoscopic diagnosis and resection.Main Outcome MeasurementsEndoscopic features, resection success, adverse events, and follow-up endoscopy.ResultsGastric glomus tumors do not exhibit specific features on gastroscopy and EUS that distinguish them from other gastric submucosal tumors. Endoscopic submucosal enucleation was successful in 5 patients. In one patient, the operation had to be discontinued because of significant bleeding during the procedure. The mean tumor size was 19.8 ± 6.2 mm (range 12-30 mm). Perforation occurred in 1 patient and was successfully managed with hemoclips. No local recurrence was observed during follow-up (mean duration 9 ± 5.1 months, range 3-17 months).LimitationsSmall number of patients (N = 6), limited follow-up, retrospective study.ConclusionsDiagnosis of gastric glomus tumors is difficult when based only on features derived from gastroscopy and EUS. Endoscopic submucosal enucleation is a feasible and safe procedure with which to diagnose and treat this lesion. However, further investigation and comparative studies are required to confirm the safety and efficacy of this method.