Giant duodenal diverticulum—an incidental finding

A 72-year-old female presented to the Emergency Department with 12 hours of non-specific epigastric pain. Her epigastrium was tender and inflammatory markers were mildly increased. A Computed Tomography scan revealed no acute pathology however there was a giant diverticulum arising from the second/third part of the duodenum measuring 9.5 x 5.7 x 7.3 cm. This was thought to be incidental, her pain settled and she was discharged. Diverticula are common throughout the gastrointestinal tract, predominantly in the colon. Within the small bowel they occur most commonly in the duodenum and are often asymptomatic and found incidentally. Potential complications of duodenal diverticula include pain, bleeding and obstruction. There are only a few cases reported of duodenal diverticula this large but it is important to be aware of them as a potential pathology and keep them and their associated complications as a differential for patients presenting with an acute abdomen.