Intraluminal duodenal diverticulum: case report and update of the literature 1975-1986.

Intraluminal duodenal diverticulum (IDD) is a rare congenital web of membrane causing intrinsic duodenal obstruction. We report the case of a 26-yr-old woman diagnosed by contrast study and endoscopy, who was successfully treated by surgery, and review the literature on the subject. Most patients with this obstruction are adults in their 3rd to 5th decade. The clinical presentation is nonspecific, although symptoms of gastrointestinal obstruction are frequent. A shift in the time of diagnosis, from intraoperative to preoperative contrast studies to endoscopy, has been revealed. Surgery has traditionally been an effective and safe treatment, but therapeutic endoscopy with incision or excision of the membrane may now be considered in selected patients.