Benign Tumors of the Small Intestine

Nearly one of every four benign tumors of the gastrointestinal tract is found in the small intestine.¹ However, only between 9 and 16 times in every 10,000 autopsies and/or biopsies will a benign tumor of the small bowel be discovered (Table 1). This disproportion between the frequency of neoplasia and great length (as compared with the relatively short large intestine) has been attributed to various factors, including the following: (1) lack of irritation owing to the absence of stasis associated with the speed of passage of fecal content. Neoplasms arise most frequently in the duodenum and ileum and less frequently in the jejunum; (2) the infrequent presence of embryonal rests here as compared with other portions of the alimentary tract.

The small bowel is approximately 23 ft. long, with extreme variations from about 15 ft. to about 32 ft.² Any histological element of this huge area is subject