Endoscopic-assisted laparoscopic surgical removal of a gastric neurofibroma in a child

An 11-year-old boy, who presented with abdominal pain and vomiting was noted to have a gastric submucosal mass at endoscopy. Endoscopic ultrasound showed it arising from the fourth ultrasound level of the gastric wall precluding endoscopic removal. Open surgery was avoided by use of endoscopic-assisted laparoscopic surgery (EALS) to remove the mass. The mass was found to be an isolated gastric neurofibroma, a rare tumor in children. We show that combined use of intraluminal endoscopy and laparoscopic surgery allows for safe and less-invasive surgery for removal of a submucosal mass in a child. Further, we review the rare finding of gastric neurofibromas.