Contained duodenal ulcer perforation

Case contributed by Chris O'Donnell
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Acute onset of abdominal pain radiating to the back

Patient Data

Age: 55 years
Gender: Male

Markedly thick-walled (edematous) distal stomach with a gas and fluid-filled cavity sitting behind the duodenal first part communuicating via a defect in the wall with the lumen.

Case Discussion

Differential diagnosis is duodenal diverticulum - in this case refuted by the presence of gross adjacent gastric wall edema (inflammation) and the mural defect location, i.e. first part rather than the more typical second for diverticulum. Contained duodenal peptic perforations are more common posteriorly (as compared with pneumoperitoneum in anterior perforation) and typically present with pain radiating to the back (in this case prompting a CT angiogram for clinically supected aortic dissection).

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