Gastrointestinal stromal tumor diagnosed during donor procurement: The experience of a single institution and review of the literature

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare neoplasms accounting for 5% of all sarcomas, but they are the most common mesenchymal tumors within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. GISTs occur throughout the GI tract, with the stomach being the most frequent site of origin. Material/Methods: Herein, we describe 5 cases of GISTs diagnosed during donor procurement. Frozen sections of the tumors were highly suspicious for GISTs, and mitotic count evaluation was also performed. However, the definitive diagnosis and risk assessment required immunohistochemical staining for CD117 and DOG-1, together with the mitotic count performed on permanent sections. Results: From our 5 donors, 2 kidneys and 1 liver were transplanted with no evidence of donor-transmitted neoplasia after 18 and 46 months, respectively. Conclusions: We describe 5 cases of GISTs with no risk of progressive disease. In accordance with the latest guidelines of the European Committee on Organ Transplantation, only donors with small gastric GIST were accepted for liver and renal transplant.