Diagnosis and treatment of juxta-ampullary duodenal diverticulum.

OBJECTIVE To summarize the diagnosis and treatment of juxta-ampullary duodenal diverticulum (JAD) in our hospital. METHODS Of 5000 consecutive endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) performed in our department, 225 patients were diagnosed with JAD and treated. All patients were classified based on the location of Ampullae of Vater in relation to the duodenal diverticulum. Of the 225 JAD patients, 96 patients (43%) required surgery. RESULTS The 225 patients with JAD were divided into Type A (146 cases, 65%) or Type B (79 cases, 35%). Type A patients presented with papillae near the diverticulum or in its margin. In this type, 36 patients (25%) presented with diverticulitis, bleeding, perforation or cholelithiasis, and were treated surgically. Type B patients presented with papillae inside the diverticulum. Among them, 60 patients (76%) had complications requiring surgery. CONCLUSIONS JAD can be divided into two types based on location of the papillae. ERCP was the primary method of diagnosing JAD and patients with severe complications required surgical intervention.