Congenital double pyloric ostium in the adult

Abstract

Duplication of the pylorus, an extremely rare congenital anomaly of the stomach, consists of two openings connecting the antrum of the stomach to the duodenal bulb. Approximately 70 cases of double pylorus have been described in the literature, most of which are associated with the presence of chronic peptic ulcers, thus indicating an acquired origin of the condition. We report a case of congenital double pylorus in a 64-year-old man who complained about mild postprandial epigastric discomfort and nausea of approximately 3 months' duration. Endoscopic examination of the stomach showed a double pyloric ostium connecting the stomach to the duodenum. No signs of acute or chronic peptic ulcer were noted. A biopsy was taken from the region between the two openings, which showed normal mucosa and a muscularis mucosae layer. Apart from a mild gastritis, no other pathology (chronic peptic ulcer, ulcerated malignancy) suggesting an acquired origin of the double pylorus was observed. Therefore, the case was considered to be congenital in origin. The patient was successfully treated conservatively with antacids and gastrokinetics.