A Case of Gastric Diverticulum Presenting As Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Rural Central India

Gastric diverticula (GD) are the least prevalent type of gastrointestinal diverticula and are extremely uncommon anatomical anomalies in general. Although the majority of GD cases are asymptomatic and are identified by chance during normal diagnostic testing, they can manifest with a variety of symptoms. In some instances they can lead to life-threatening problems, necessitating surgical intervention. The majority of gastric diverticula go unnoticed. Upper abdomen pain, nausea, emesis, and dyspepsia are the most prevalent symptoms. Patients with GD can present with dramatic symptoms such as major bleeding or perforation on rare occasions. We report a rare case of a 60-year-old male, who presented with a complaint of haematemesis, and upon doing endoscopy and contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen was diagnosed with GD. The patient was managed successfully with proton pump inhibitor infusion and somatostatin analogs and was discharged in stable condition. Here, we highlight a rare but potentially life-threatening cause of hematemesis which is often missed by treating clinicians, especially in rural and remote areas, and therefore, requires more awareness and clinical vigilance.