Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the 
gastrointestinal tract. Our aim in this study is to find out clinical evaluation and surgical outcome in 
management of these types of tumors. 
Methods: 11 consecutive patients subjected to surgical treatment, diagnosed histopathologically as GISTs and 
enrolled in a prospective study from October 2007 to March 2011.
Results: 7 gastric and 4 small intestinal GISTs presented mainly by Gastrointestinal bleeding (36%) and 
abdominal pain (36%). 6 cases (55%) were discovered incidentally during laparotomy. All patients were 
managed surgically and confirmed by postoperative histopathologic study. Surgical resection with safety 
margin was done to all patients except one case with duodenal GIST was irresectable.
5 patients with poor prognostic factors and inoperable lesions required a second therapy in Oncology Unit. 
During the follow up period (ranged from 6-34months) 2 patients died due to progression of the disease and 
distant metastasis.
Conclusion: GISTs are commonly diagnosed incidentally during laparotomy and most of them presented 
with gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal pain .Complete surgical resection is the mainstay of their 
management. Surgical treatment of incidentally discovered advanced GISTs carried very poor prognosis even 
with the use of postoperative neoadjuvant therapy.