A CASE OF GASTRIC DUPLICATION

We experienced a case of gastric duplication which presented difficulty in preoperative diagnosis. The case involved a 12-year-old girl. She was admitted to the hospital because of poor appetite. On physical examination a right hypochondriac mass was palpated. Close examination revealed a large cystic mass with the diameter of 7cm in the vicinity of the duodenum. Operation was carried out. During operation a tumor existing from the greater curvature of the gastric pylorus to the duodenum was found. The tumor was freed from the spleen and was excised with the gastric vestibule. The excised tumor was a cyst surrounded with muscular layer of the gastric wall and there was a collection of dark-brown liquid in it. The duodenum and gastric mucosa were normal, without any communication with the cyst. Histologically a small amount of mucosa mimicking gastric mucosa and fibrous blastgranulation tissue was seen in dthe inner wall of the cyst. No muscular tunic of the mucous membrane nor submucosal layer existed between mucosa and muscular layer, though the muscular layer was common. These findings satisfied the Ladd&Gross's definition, and so this patient was diagnosed as having a gastric duplication.