The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2009 , Vol 51 , Num 5
A Case Report: Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Childhood
Departments of 1Pediatrics, 2Pediatric Surgery, and 3Pathology, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey
Primary gastric adenocarcinoma is extremely rare in children, and accounts
for 0.05% of all gastrointestinal malignancies during childhood. The initial
symptoms of epigastric pain, feeling of fullness, belching, and loss of appetite are
non-specific and misleading. Nausea, vomiting and weight loss may accompany,
which also complicate reaching a prompt diagnosis. In the presented case, a
15-year-old girl admitted with ascites, pleural effusion, right supra-clavicular
lymphadenopathy, and back pain. No primary focus of a malignancy was
accomplished in radiological evaluation, and the diagnosis of gastric carcinoma
was achieved with upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy. We point out the
importance of upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy in patients with ascites
and uncertain diagnosis of the primary focus of malignancy.
Keywords :
gastric adenocarcinoma, ascites, childhood.