RELIEF OF MALIGNANT EXTERNAL GASTRIC OBSTRUCTION BY ENDOSCOPIC IMPLANTATION OF A SELF-EXPANDING METAL STENT

We report on the case of a 63-year-old woman with a gastric stenosis caused by peritoneal carcinomatosis. Vomiting and nausea disappeared after the implantation of a self-expanding metal stent in the 5 cm-long stenosis, and the patient was able to maintain a normal diet. She was discharged from hospital and remained in good condition for 14 weeks. Then, 16 weeks after stent implantation, the patient died of metastatic tumor spread, having remained free of nausea and vomiting. An autopsy showed complete patency of the stent, and no signs of ulceration or tumor ingrowth. The success of the treatment in this patient suggests the importance of further investigations.