Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
What complications are caused by a duodenal diverticulum?
Extramural diverticula usually cause no symptoms. Occasionally, they may
rupture (just like
colonic diverticula) and lead to a pocket of inflammation adjacent to the
duodenum with or without infection. This may result in all the signs and
symptoms of intra-abdominal inflammation pain, fever, and abdominal
tenderness.
If the diverticulum is very close to the Ampulla of Vater,
patients more frequently develop gallstones, particularly in the bile ducts, and
may develop all the complications of gallstones:
biliary colic (the typical pain
of obstruction of the bile ducts),
cholecystitis (inflammation of the
gallbladder), and
cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts due to the spread
of bacteria into the ducts from the duodenum).
Pancreatitis also may occur. These
complications are believed to be due to interference by the diverticula with the
normal function of the bile and pancreatic ducts.
Gallstones are stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones (formed in the gallbladder) can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. There can be just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or any combination. The majority of gallstones do not cause symptoms.
Diverticulitis is a condition in which diverticuli in the colon rupture. The rupture results in infection in the tissues that surround the colon. Diverticulitis symptoms include: abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating. Treatment methods include prescription medications, and in some cases, diverticulitis surgery.
Pancreatitis is a rare disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed, occurring when digestive enzymes are activated and begin attacking the pancreas causing damage to the gland. There are two types of pancreatitis, acute and chronic. Most commonly caused by alcohol or gallstones, it can lead to bleeding in the gland, serious tissue damage, infection, and cysts. Enzymes and toxins may then enter the bloodstream and seriously injure organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidney.
Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
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