Comparative cytology of stromal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract

The cytologic features of four cases of stromal tumors arising in the gastrointestinal tract are presented here. Two benign schwannomas of the stomach showed characteristic findings of spindle cells within a background containing abundant mature lymphcytes. A benign gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the duodenum demonstrated small clusters composed of spindle cells with uniform and cigar-shaped nuclei. A malignant GIST metastatic to the liver was composed of isolated plump spindle cells with hyperchromatic nuclei with multiple small nucleoli. The diagnosis and classification of a gastric or intestinal stromal tumor is possible based on the cytologic findings