Transsacral approach to resect a gastrointestinal stromal tumor in the rectum: report of two cases.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) rarely arise in the rectum. Whereas a local resection with negative margins is generally considered adequate for resectable GISTs, a wide resection is usually indicated for rectal lesions because of the technical impossibility of local resection. We report the cases of two patients who underwent resection of a rectal GIST using a transsacral approach. Both patients had an uneventful postoperative course, and no evidence of recurrence has been identified. The transsacral approach appears to be less invasive and should be considered as the treatment of choice for a rectal GIST.