Background: Gastric gastrinoma and spontaneous tumor regression are both very rarely encountered. We report the first case of spontaneous regression of gastric gastrinoma.
Case summary: A 37-year-old man with a 9-year history of chronic abdominal pain was referred for evaluation of an 8 cm mass in the lesser omentum discovered incidentally on abdominal computed tomography. The tumor was diagnosed as grade 2 neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) on endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration. Screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a 7 mm red polypoid lesion with central depression in the gastric antrum, also confirmed to be a grade 2 NEN. Laparoscopic removal of the abdominal mass confirmed it to be a metastatic gastrinoma lesion. The gastric lesion was subsequently diagnosed as primary gastric gastrinoma. Three months later, the gastric lesion had disappeared without treatment. The patient remains symptom-free with normal fasting serum gastrin and no recurrence of gastrinoma during 36 mo of follow-up.
Conclusion: Gastric gastrinoma may arise as a polypoid lesion in the gastric antrum. Spontaneous regression can rarely occur after biopsy.
Keywords: Biopsy; Case report; Functional tumor; Gastrin; Neuroendocrine neoplasm; Stomach.
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