[Gastric duplication or pancreatic pseudocyst. Diagnostic difficulties apropos of a case]

Gastric duplication was diagnosed in a 50 year-old patient who was initially thought to have a pancreatic pseudo-cyst until laparotomy was performed. There are many clinical and radiological similarities between gastric duplication and pancreatic pseudo-cyst. However, the following elements can suggest the diagnosis of gastric duplication in the case of the discovery of a cystic mass in the gastric or pancreatic area: normal pancreatic enzyme levels, ultrasonic identification of a hyperechoic inner rim and a hypoechoic outer rim with peristaltic movements into the cyst, visualization of a communication between the cyst and the gastro-intestinal tract, and detection of associated vertebral abnormalities. Surgical treatment of gastric duplication is only necessary in symptomatic cases.