Aim: The aim of this paper is to present the first published case of a high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) in Kuwait.
Case presentation and intervention: A thirty-six-year old Egyptian male patient presented with central upper abdominal pain of five-month duration. Clinically, there was an approximately 10 cm x 8 cm diffuse, non-tender, firm mass in the epigastrium. A tumour of the stomach wall was diagnosed. The mass was surgically excised. At laparotomy there was obvious peritoneal dissemination. Histopathological examination revealed a (GIST) of the omentum. Postoperatively the patient was advised to receive imatinib mesylate for a period of one year.
Conclusion: Despite significant advances in new chemotherapeutic drugs, radical surgery remains the only method offering a chance for long-term survival. Although further data are required to evaluate its use in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings, imatinib mesylate currently provides the most effective treatment option in the management of advanced GIST.