Background/aims: A prospective study measured the occurrence of leiomyoma in patients receiving various gastric surgeries and the probable characteristics of patients presenting an incidental leiomyoma.
Methodology: Twenty-eight (3.5%) patients with gastric leiomyoma were encountered among 796 resected stomach specimens within the past two years. Of these patients, 11 exhibiting a submucosal tumor were preoperatively diagnosed with endoscopy, whereas 17 showing leiomyoma were incidentally found during a thorough survey of the resected stomach specimens. Their demographic characteristics were compared.
Results: Occurrence of incidental leiomyoma tended to be more common in patients with gastric cancer than in other lesions (3.2% vs 0.9%, p = 0.0513). Comparing the characteristics of patients showing incidental leiomyoma and pre-operatively diagnosed submucosal tumor, their differences in age, gender, tumor location or number were not significant. However, the former usually exhibited tiny lesions without an overlying necrotic ulcer. Recent endoscopic follow-up did not find any evidence of recurrence.
Conclusions: Incidental leiomyoma is not rare in resected specimens. Most lesions are tiny without overlying ulcer and gross recurrence looks impossible. Pre-operative diagnosis of this lesion remains difficult since a warning sign of leiomyoma never exists.