Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic scan showing a diverticulum (arrow) in the fundus of the stomach.
Gastric diverticula are uncommon.with equal distribution among men and women, and can be congenital or acquired.Areas of weakness caused by splitting of the longitudinal muscle fibres, an absence of peritoneal membrane and perforating arterioles may predispose to the formation of a diverticulum.Patients with gastric diverticula are often asymptomatic, although they may present with dyspepsia, vomiting and abdominal pain. Complications such as ulceration, perforation, hemorrhage, torsion and malignancy are uncommon. The condition is diagnosed incidentally by radiologic or endoscopic examination. There is no specific treatment required for an asymptomatic diverticulum.
Surgical resection is recommended when the diverticulum is large, symptomatic or complicated by bleeding, perforation or malignancy. Both open and laparoscopic resection yield good results. Perioperative gastroscopy can help locate the diverticulum in difficult situations.
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