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Gastric duplication cyst causing hypergastrinemia in an infant

Nathan Bryan1, Ian Leibowitz1

  • 1Division of Gastroenterology Children's National Hospital Washington DC USA.

JPGN Reports
|July 25, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Rare gastric duplication cysts can cause severe symptoms in infants, including failure to thrive and vomiting. This case highlights their link to hypergastrinemia and the need for repeat imaging when initial studies are inconclusive.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Gastroenterology
  • Congenital Anomalies

Background:

  • Gastric duplication cysts are rare congenital anomalies, with most occurring outside the stomach.
  • These cysts can lead to significant gastrointestinal issues in infants and children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a rare case of gastric duplication cyst presenting with failure to thrive, recurrent emesis, and hematemesis.
  • To investigate the association between gastric duplication cysts and hypergastrinemia in a pediatric patient.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of a 14-month-old girl with persistent gastrointestinal symptoms.
  • Diagnostic workup including laboratory evaluation for hypergastrinemia and serial imaging studies.
  • Surgical resection of the identified gastric duplication cyst.

Main Results:

  • The patient presented with failure to thrive, recurrent emesis, hematemesis, and severe duodenitis with ulceration.
  • Marked hypergastrinemia (1781 pg/mL) was detected.
  • Repeat imaging revealed a gastric duplication cyst causing gastric outlet obstruction; surgical resection normalized gastrin levels.

Conclusions:

  • Gastric duplication cysts can cause hypergastrinemia due to isolated gastric mucosa, leading to peptic injury.
  • Considering duplication cysts is crucial in pediatric patients with poor growth and persistent gastrointestinal symptoms.
  • Repeat imaging is valuable when initial studies are unrevealing for suspected congenital anomalies.

Keywords:
esophageal necrosismalnutritionpeptic ulcer diseasevomiting

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