Gastric diverticulum: "A wayside house of ill fame" with a laparoscopic solution

Abstract

Background: Gastric diverticulum (GD) is an extremely rare disorder that can easily be overlooked when investigating the cause of abdominal pain. Its diagnosis is founded on a history of gastrointestinal symptoms and a typically unrevealing physical examination, and diagnosis requires confirmation from UGI contrast studies, EGD, and CT scan. Symptomatic GD should be kept in consideration as a cause of abdominal issues, because not only is it treatable, but also complications of GD can be life threatening. The surgical treatment of GDs has evolved from thoraco-abdominal incisions in the early twentieth century to the laparoscopic approach used today. Case Report: The patient is a 45-y-old male presenting with a 4-mo case of dysphagia, small amounts of regurgitation, and abdominal pain but no other symptoms. Results: The patient was diagnosed with a gastric diverticulum, which was subsequently successfully treated with a laparoscopic gastric diverticulectomy. Conclusion: Laparoscopic gastric diverticulectomy is a safe procedure and should be considered as an option to treat symptomatic GD. © 2012 by JSLS.