gastrointestinal disorders
Diverticular Disease of the Stomach and Small Bowel
Gastric diverticula
Gastric diverticula are typically discovered as incidental findings during endoscopy or imaging studies (eg, upper GI barium studies, CT with contrast). The predominant location is the proximal portion of the stomach along the greater curvature. The size of a diverticulum ranges from 1 to 3 cm in diameter. Gastric diverticula are formed by a projection of the stomach mucosa through the muscularis but not through the entire stomach wall (perhaps due to the thickness of the muscular layers in the stomach) and are thus referred to as intramural or partial diverticula. Gastric diverticula are usually asymptomatic, but some patients report a vague sensation of fullness and dyspepsia. Complications such as bleeding, perforation, and cancer are unusual. No specific treatment is necessary for an asymptomatic diverticulum; management depends on the severity of symptoms. Some studies have reported that use of proton pump inhibitors for several weeks can alleviate dyspepsia. However, other data show that symptoms may be unresponsive to proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers. 