Incidental gastric diverticulum in a young female with chronic gastritis: A case report

•Gastrointestinal diverticula, although common, may occur in unusual locations such as the gastric region.•Gastric Diverticula usually present with vague abdominal symptoms and a high index of suspicion may be needed to make the diagnosis.•Gastric Diverticula may be diagnosed using different modalities with varying results, the gold standard of which is OGD.•Careful positioning (supine, left lateral decubitus, Trendelenburg) may augment contrast study findings.•Gastric Diverticula are usually asymptomatic and benign but rare cases of serious complications such as perforation, bleeding and malignant transformation have been described. Gastrointestinal upset is a common presentation to surgical departments, often requiring investigation with endoscopy. Pathologies such as gastritis or ulcers are common culprits. Occasionally, rare or unusual pathologies, such as gastric diverticula as was seen in the case presented, are found. A 26 year old female, with no known co-morbid conditions presented with a two week history of abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting. On further inquiry, she had one episode of blood stained vomiting, prompting investigation with an oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD). Findings included diffuse haemorrhagic gastritis with a single outpouching measuring 1–2 cm in the gastric fundus. A gastric diverticulum was confirmed on barium swallow. Investigation with sonar and a Computed Tomography (CT) scan reported the stomach as normal. The patient was successfully treated non-operatively with proton pump inhibitor therapy for her concomitant gastritis. Gastric Diverticula are often associated with other gastric findings and their individual contribution varies from case to case. Gastric Diverticula are the manifestation of a common condition in an unusual location. Their clinical implications vary from being insignificant to life threatening when complicated by haemorrhage, perforation or malignant transformation. The associated symptoms are non-specific and diagnosis may be challenging. The case highlights the importance of selecting appropriate imaging modalities for luminal structures, being only diagnosed in 2 (OGD, Swallow) of the four modalities (incl. ultrasound and CT scan) used. Treatment may be conservative or surgical and is patient dependent. Written consent and ethical approval was obtained. The work is reported in line with the SCARE criteria.