Non-Cancerous Tumors of the Stomach

Little clinical interest attaches to non-cancerous tumors of the stomach. They are comparatively rare and usually unattended by symptoms. Even should a tumor be discovered, there are no means of determining the nature of the tumor; and if symptoms are produced by the tumor, the case will probably be diagnosticated as one of cancer. It is necessary, therefore, in the present work to do little more than enumerate the different forms of non-cancerous tumor of the stomach.

The most common of benign gastric tumors are polypi projecting into the interior of the stomach. These are usually so-called mucous or adenomatous polypi, being composed of hypertrophied or hyperplastic elements of the mucous membrane with or without new growth of submucous tissue. They may be present in large number (one hundred and fifty to two hundred in a case of Leudet's). Their development is usually attributed to a chronic catarrhal gastritis, so that a gastritis polypora has been distinguished. These polyps are important only when they obstruct one of the orifices of the stomach, in which case they may cause even fatal stenosis. This occurrence is very rare.

Benign adenomata appear less frequently as growths in the submucous coat of the stomach (Winiwarter).

Myomata and myosarcomata, projecting sometimes as polyps either into the gastric or the peritoneal cavity, may attain a very large size, as in a case reported by Brodowski in which a cystic myosarcoma of the stomach weighed twelve pounds.

Virchow's Archiv, Bd. 67.

Sarcoma, either as a primary or a secondary tumor of the stomach, is rare. Two cases of secondary lympho-sarcoma of the stomach (primary of the retro-peritoneal glands) without gastric symptoms have come under my observation. In a similar case reported by Coupland the symptoms resembled those of gastric cancer.

Trans. London Path. Soc., vol. xxviii. p. 126.

In connection with gastric ulcer mention has already been made of the occurrence of miliary aneurisms in the stomach, which may be the cause of fatal hæmatemesis.

Sometimes the mucous membrane is studded with little cysts, as in a case reported by Harris.

Am. Journ. Med. Sci., April, 1869.

Fibromata and lipomata are very rare.

Foreign bodies in the stomach, particularly balls of hair, have been sometimes mistaken for tumors, particularly cancer, of this organ. Schönborn removed successfully a ball of hair from the stomach by gastrotomy. Before the operation the tumor was considered to be a movable kidney.

Arch. f. kl. Chirurg., Bd. xxix. p. 609.