Clinicopathological features of gastric glomus tumor.

Aim: To study the clinicopathological features of gastric glomus tumor and review the related Chinese literature published in 1990-2010.

Methods: A case of gastric glomus tumor was reported. Clinicopathological findings in 56 cases of gastric glomus tumor were analyzed.

Results: Gastric glomus tumor was far more common in women than in men with a female to male ratio of 1.6:1. The median age of the patients was 45 years (range 28-79 years). The patients often complained of epigastric pain and bloody stool. The tumor was located in antrum of the stomach. The greatest diameter of the tumor was 0.8-11 cm. Histologically, the tumor was comprised of nests of glomus cells surrounding the capillaries. Glomus cells were small, uniform and round. Vimentin, smooth muscle actin and actin were expressed in the tumor. Other markers, including S-100 protein, CD34, CD117, desmin, CD56, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, neuron specific enolase and cytokeratin were all negative.

Conclusion: Gastric glomus tumor is a rare benign mesenchymal neoplasm. Its diagnosis depends on pathologic examination. Differential diagnosis includes gastrointestinal stromal tumor, paraganglioma and carcinoid tumor.