[Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: five case reports and review of the literature]. / Tumori stromali gastrointestinali: cinque casi clinici e revisione della letteratura.

Being a rare entity, GISTs represents the most common subset of mesenchymal tumours that arise from the digestive tract. Their immunohistochemical and histopathologic features distinguish them from other gastrointestinal mesenchymal neoplasms. These tumours have been the matter of considerable debate in the literature regarding their histogenesis, criteria for diagnosis, prognostic features and treatment. GISTs express Kit protein that not only is a marker for diagnosis but has also permitted to identify a specific medical treatment. The exceptional interest aroused in the literature leads us to make a review about this subject reporting five cases treated in the last 2 years.

[Primary gastric lymphoma. Personal experience]. / Il linfoma gastrico primitivo. Nostra esperienza.

The authors report their experience regarding primary gastric lymphoma. The series presented consists of 5 cases: a correct preoperative diagnosis of primary gastric lymphoma was made in one case, whereas pseudolymphoma was hypothesised in a second patient. The remaining three cases were all maltomas. After examining the histological characteristics and classification of primary gastric lymphomas, the authors underline the importance of an early preoperative diagnosis of gastric lymphoma. The repeated use of endoscopic techniques with biopsy compared to radiological examination increases the possibility of diagnosing lymphoma from 20% to 85%. The success rate is further increased if ultrasonic endoscopy is used instead of endoscopy alone, thus making it possible to achieve a 97% diagnostic success rate. The authors then emphasise the fundamental role played by surgery in the treatment of gastric lymphoma. Depending on the depth of neoplastic infiltration, the dimensions of the neoplasia and its multifocality, in localised forms of the antrum (IE, IIE with a low degree of malignancy) surgery consists of resection with partial gastrectomy, provided the resection margins are undamaged, or total gastrectomy in those forms involving the fundus and body of the stomach.