Management of complicated duodenal diverticula

SummaryThe duodenum is the second most common location of intestinal diverticula after the colon. Duodenal diverticulum (DD) is usually located in the second portion of the duodenum (D2), close to the papilla. Most duodenal diverticula are extraluminal and acquired rather than congenital; more rare is the congenital, intraluminal diverticulum. DD is usually asymptomatic and discovered incidentally, but can become symptomatic in 1% to 5% of cases when complicated by gastroduodenal, biliary and/or pancreatic obstruction, by perforation or by hemorrhage. Endoscopic treatment is the most common first-line treatment for biliopancreatic complications caused by juxtapapillary diverticula and also for bleeding. Conservative treatment of perforated DD based on fasting and broad-spectrum antibiotics may be offered in some selected cases when diagnosis is made early in stable patients, or in elderly patients with comorbidities who are poor operative candidates. Surgical treatment is currently reserved for failure of endoscopic or conservative treatment. The main postoperative complication of diverticulectomy is duodenal leak or fistula, which carries up to a 30% mortality rate.