Myoepithelial hamartoma of the stomach simulating a gastric carcinoma. A case report.

Myoepithelial hamartoma is a very rare submucosal tumor of the stomach. Magnus-Alsleben first described 5 cases of this tumor in 1903. More recently (1993) Vandelli et al. published a review of the literature comprising only 33 cases. Histologically, the tumor is characterized by hypertrophic smooth muscle bands surrounding diverse epithelial elements that can be arranged in different ways: as a simple glandular structure, Brunner's gland, pancreatic ducts and occasionally pancreatic acinus. We report a case of myoepithelial hamartoma of the stomach simulating a gastric carcinoma.