Perforated duodenal diverticulum: a rare complication in a common condition

The authors present a rare case of perforated duodenal diverticulum diagnosed in an 80-year-old Caucasian woman with vomiting and abdominal pain localised to the epigastrium. CT scan showed thickening of the second portion of the duodenum with retroperitoneal fat stranding and perihepatic free fluid, with a presumptive diagnosis of a duodenal perforation. A laparotomy was performed which showed a perforated diverticulum in the second portion of the duodenum. A diverticulectomy with single-layer closure was performed, without complications. The postoperative course was uneventful.