PRIMARY duodenal diverticula are outpouchings of mucosa and muscularis mucosae through weak spots or defects in the circular and longitudinal muscle of the bowel wall. They resemble the "pulsion" type of diverticula seen elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract, eg, in the esophagus, colon, and, less commonly, in the jejunum and ileum. Although Ackermann,1 using a special injection technique, was able to demonstrate one or more duodenal diverticula in 22% of cadavers, they are encountered much less frequently during roentgenologic examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract or at routine postmortem examination. It is generally felt that they are responsible for symptoms in a very small proportion of those people who harbor them. Symptoms which have been attributed to duodenal diverticula are nausea, vomiting, belching, flatulence, constipation or diarrhea, and pain resembling that caused by peptic ulcer, biliary tract disease, or pancreatic disorders; complications of duodenal diverticula include simple inflammation, perforation,