Massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding originating from a fourth-stage duodenal diverticulum: a case report and review of the literature

Duodenal diverticulum is well-known pathologic entity. Most such diverticula are asymptomatic and located on the second stage of the duodenum. The diagnosis is most often established by endoscopy or upper gastrointestinal radiography. Hemorrhage has been described but is an infrequent complication. We report on a patient who presented with massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding, originating from a fourth-stage duodenal diverticulum. The diagnosis was made with a combination of arteriography and scanning with technetium 99-labelled red cells. Diverticulectomy was performed with a successful outcome. This report underlines the diagnostic limits of fiberoptic endoscopy for hemorrhagic lesions located past the third stage of the duodenum.