Open AccessA rare tumour, a singular indication: sleeve gastrectomy in a morbidly obese septuagenarian with gastric schwannoma
Author(s) -
Ana V M Faustino,
Tiago Rama,
Margarida P C Andrade,
Victor Alves Carneiro,
Maria Inês Leite
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of surgical case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.14
H-Index - 3
ISSN - 2042-8812
DOI - 10.1093/jscr/rjaa421
Subject(s) - medicine , sleeve gastrectomy , epigastric pain , morbidly obese , surgery , schwannoma , weight loss , gastrectomy , obesity , cancer , general surgery , gastric bypass , vomiting
Gastric schwannoma is an extremely rare mesenchymal tumour, representing only 0.2% of all gastric tumours. Obesity is an alarming worldwide disease whose only effective and sustained treatment seems to be surgical. We present a case of a 73-year-old female with epigastric pain and unspecific dyspeptic symptoms, whose diagnostic endoscopic procedures raised suspicion of a gastrointestinal stromal tumour. Given her good performance status, and since grade 2 obesity with high-risk comorbid conditions was present, she was considered a suitable candidate for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Both surgery and immediate postoperative period were uneventful. Histological and immunocytochemical analysis classified the tumour as benign gastric schwannoma. After 24 months, besides being disease-free, she presented an excess weight loss of 90.2%, with improvements in metabolic profile allowing withdrawal from chronic medication. The patient is healthier, satisfied and living an active life, showing that age by itself should not be a deterrent to bariatric surgery.