Rectal endometriosis without typical gynecological symptoms mimics gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a case report and literature review
Abstract
Rectal endometriosis may be similar to gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), especially in women without typical gynecological or cyclical gastrointestinal symptoms. A 45-year-old female patient had an eight-year history of rectal defecation difficulty and increased defecation frequency, but no dysmenorrhea or increased menstrual flow. Colonoscopy revealed a smooth protruding lesion on the rectal surface, and endoscopic ultrasound showed a heterogeneous lesion within the muscular layer, with intact surface mucosa, suggesting the possibility of GIST. A laparoscopic anterior resection was performed. Postoperative histopathology showed ectopic endometrial glands and stroma, combined with positive estrogen and progesterone receptors and expression of CD10 in the stroma, confirming rectal endometriosis. The patient’s symptoms improved significantly and recovered well. Subsequently, this study reviewed 12 reported cases, and the results showed that intestinal endometriosis and gastrointestinal tumors have overlapping diagnoses in terms of diagnosis. Even without periodic symptoms, the possibility of rectal endometriosis should be considered for women with rectal submucosal lesions. A comprehensive assessment of clinical history, pelvic anatomical relationship, imaging examinations, and histological evaluation should be conducted to establish the diagnosis and guide treatment.
Related
- Age at Menopause and Subjective Cognitive Symptoms Predict Digital Cognitive Outcomes at the Gynecological Well-Woman Visit
- Neurological paraneoplastic syndromes in patients with breast and gynecological cancer—a case series and structured literature review
- History of gastrointestinal symptoms with other glucose‐lowering agents is associated with gastrointestinal adverse events after imeglimin initiation: A retrospective real‐world study
- Gastrointestinal medication use patterns and incident depressive symptoms among adults aged 50 years or older: a prospective multicohort study
- Long‐term gynecological symptoms and ultrasound and reproductive outcomes after monofilament vs multifilament uterine closure at Cesarean delivery: secondary analysis of randomized controlled trial
BibTeX
@article{ma2026rectal,
title = {{Rectal endometriosis without typical gynecological symptoms mimics gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a case report and literature review}},
author = {Xiaopeng Ma and Zhesen Tian and Zengfang Hao and Jiawei Cui and Guojian Zhang and Yalei Zhao},
journal = {Frontiers in Oncology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fonc.2026.2023871},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.2023871},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Rectal endometriosis without typical gynecological symptoms mimics gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a case report and literature review
AU - Xiaopeng Ma
AU - Zhesen Tian
AU - Zengfang Hao
AU - Jiawei Cui
AU - Guojian Zhang
AU - Yalei Zhao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Frontiers in Oncology
DO - 10.3389/fonc.2026.2023871
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.2023871
AB - Rectal endometriosis may be similar to gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), especially in women without typical gynecological or cyclical gastrointestinal symptoms. A 45-year-old female patient had an eight-year history of rectal defecation difficulty and increased defecation frequency, but no dysmenorrhea or increased menstrual flow. Colonoscopy revealed a smooth protruding lesion on the rectal surface, and endoscopic ultrasound showed a heterogeneous lesion within the muscular layer, with intact surface mucosa, suggesting the possibility of GIST. A laparoscopic anterior resection was performed. Postoperative histopathology showed ectopic endometrial glands and stroma, combined with positive estrogen and progesterone receptors and expression of CD10 in the stroma, confirming rectal endometriosis. The patient’s symptoms improved significantly and recovered well. Subsequently, this study reviewed 12 reported cases, and the results showed that intestinal endometriosis and gastrointestinal tumors have overlapping diagnoses in terms of diagnosis. Even without periodic symptoms, the possibility of rectal endometriosis should be considered for women with rectal submucosal lesions. A comprehensive assessment of clinical history, pelvic anatomical relationship, imaging examinations, and histological evaluation should be conducted to establish the diagnosis and guide treatment.
SN - 2234-943X
ER -