BACKGROUND: Although gastric glomus tumors are usually benign lesions, occasional malignant transformation has been reported. Thus, complete resection of the gastric glomus tumor is necessary. OBJECTIVE: To provide a better understanding of the endoscopic features of this rare entity with an emphasis on its diagnosis and treatment. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: Academic medical center. PATIENTS: Six patients (2 men, 4 women; median age 48 years) received a diagnosis of gastric glomus tumor and were treated. INTERVENTIONS: Endoscopic diagnosis and resection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Endoscopic features, resection success, adverse events, and follow-up endoscopy. RESULTS: Gastric glomus tumors do not exhibit specific features on gastroscopy and EUS that distinguish them from other gastric submucosal tumors. Endoscopic submucosal enucleation was successful in 5 patients. In one patient, the operation had to be discontinued because of significant bleeding during the procedure. The mean tumor size was 19.8+/-6.2 mm (range 12-30 mm). Perforation occurred in 1 patient and was successfully managed with hemoclips. No local recurrence was observed during follow-up (mean duration 9+/-5.1 months, range 3-17 months). LIMITATIONS: Small number of patients (N=6), limited follow-up, retrospective study. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of gastric glomus tumors is difficult when based only on features derived from gastroscopy and EUS. Endoscopic submucosal enucleation is a feasible and safe procedure with which to diagnose and treat this lesion. However, further investigation and comparative studies are required to confirm the safety and efficacy of this method.
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