Clinical application of endoscopic diaphragmotomy and dilation in a congenital duodenal diaphragm

Background A congenital duodenal diaphragm (CDD) is a rare cause of duodenal obstruction in infants and children. The traditional approach to treatment has been surgical intervention either with excision and duodenoplasty or with bypass through a duodenoduodenostomy, which is invasive and carries the risk of anastomotic leakage.Aims To summarize the key points of differential diagnosis and treatment of a CDD under gastroscopy and to evaluate its efficacy and safety.Methods The clinical data of patients with a duodenal obstruction diagnosed and treated by gastroscopy in our hospital between January 2019 and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The gastroscopic features of the CDD were summarized. The clinical outcomes of patients with CDD treated by gastroscopy were collected and investigated.Results A total of 13 children with a duodenal obstruction underwent a gastroscopic examination and/or treatment, and of these, 10 were diagnosed as having a CDD and 3 were finally diagnosed as having an annular pancreas. A dome-shaped structure during inspiration (9/10) and a guidewire that could be inserted through the opening into the distal lumen (6/10) were the gastroscopic features of the CDD, while the annular pancreas had none of these features. The 10 patients, 4 men and 6 women with the CDD, were treated through endoscopic diaphragmotomy and dilation. The age and weight at operation was 15 days to 7 years (M: 2.25 years) and 2.85-22 kg (M: 13.6 kg), respectively. A total of 11 endoscopic operations were performed in the 10 patients. The time of single operation was 15-55 min (M: 38 min). The patients did not experience complications such as bleeding, pneumoperitoneum, and duodenal papilla injury during the operation. Feeding was started 12-24 h after surgery, and the patients were discharged 2-10 days (M: 7 days) postoperatively. The patients were followed up for 3-36 months (M: 17 months), and none of them had a recurrence of vomiting. However, three showed a recurrence of stenosis in upper gastrointestinal imaging, one of whom underwent a partial diaphragm resection again 2 months after the primary treatment.Conclusions A CDD can be confirmed by endoscopy based on its characteristic features. Endoscopic diaphragmotomy and balloon dilation are safe and effective, which can be a new option for minimally invasive treatment of a CDD.