Duodenal webs--no age limit.

BACKGROUND: Duodenal webs usually give rise to symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction in infancy, but they occasionally present in adulthood. CASE OUTLINE: We report an 82-year-old woman with an unusual cause of gastric outlet obstruction. Peptic ulcer stricture or carcinoma were suspected, but a CT scan and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed that her symptoms were the result of duodenal webs. The webs were successfully dilated at endoscopy. DISCUSSION: Duodenal webs may rarely account for gastric outlet obstruction in adults. Failure to visualise the second and third parts of the duodenum at endoscopy means that the diagnosis may be missed. Diclofenac and slow-release potassium tablets may have played an aetiological role in the formation of the webs in this patient.