A perforation of a duodenal diverticulum in a 97-year-old patient after total gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y...

Most duodenal diverticula (DD) are asymptomatic and rarely develop perforations. Perforation is the most serious complication of DD and often requires emergency surgery. A 97-year-old woman who had undergone total gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y reconstruction 30 years ago was referred to our department with chief complaints of abdominal pain and fever during her hospitalization after femoral neck fracture surgery in the orthopedic department. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed free air and residue in the abdominal cavity and right retroperitoneum, and an emergency laparotomy was performed. The abdominal cavity was mildly contaminated, and a 6-cm DD with a 1-cm perforation in the wall of the diverticulum on the contralateral side of the mesentery of the duodenum was found. Diverticulectomy and duodenal closure were performed and a drainage tube was placed. The patient experienced no complications and was transferred to the orthopedic department on postoperative day 10. Reports of perforation of DD after gastrectomy are very rare. Particular attention should be paid to perforation of DD after Billroth-II and Roux-en-Y reconstructions as they involve the formation of a duodenal stump that differs from the normal anatomy and may be highly invasive surgical procedures, depending on the degree of inflammation and fistula formation.