[Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: case reports and review of the literature].

The Authors describe four cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) two of them were localized in the stomach, the others in the ileum. GIST are neoplasms of mesenchymal origin which develop inside the wall of the digestive tract. The most frequent site is the stomach, followed by the small bowel; less commonly these tumors can affect the oesophagus, the colon and the rectum. GIST originate from precursors of the interstitial cells of Cajal, which are localized in the gastro-intestinal wall and are involved in the regulation of the peristalsis. The treatment is surgical resection. For advanced disease there is a new interesting treatment based on the imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.