Enteric duplication cysts, sometimes simply called duplication cysts, are rare congenital malformations of the

gastrointestinal tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...

. They most frequently occur in the

small intestine The small intestine or small bowel is an organ (anatomy), organ in the human gastrointestinal tract, gastrointestinal tract where most of the #Absorption, absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intes ...

, particularly the

ileum The ileum () is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine m ...

, but can occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract. They may be cystic or tubular in conformation. The condition of having duplication cysts has been called intestinal duplication.

Symptoms and signs

Symptoms depend on the location of the duplication. Duplications occurring high in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. esophageal) may cause difficulty breathing due to compression of the airway. Lower gastrointestinal duplications (e.g. duodenum, colon) can be associated with abdominal pain,

gastrointestinal bleeding Gastrointestinal bleeding (GI bleed), also called gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GIB), is all forms of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum. When there is significant blood loss over a short time, symptoms may include ...

, a palpable mass, vomiting, or may cause

bowel obstruction Bowel obstruction, also known as intestinal obstruction, is a mechanical or functional obstruction of the intestines which prevents the normal movement of the products of digestion. Either the small bowel or large bowel may be affected. Signs ...

. Smaller lesions can act as a so-called "lead point" for

intussusception Intussusception may refer to: * Intussusception (medical disorder) Intussusception is a medical condition in which a part of the intestine folds into the section immediately ahead of it. It typically involves the small bowel and less commonly ...

Diagnosis

Treatment

Duplications are usually removed surgically, even if they are found incidentally (i.e. not causing symptoms or encountered on routine studies for other reasons), as there is a high incidence of complications resulting from untreated cases. Cysts are often technically easier to remove than tubular malformations since tubular structures usually share a blood supply with the associated gut.

References

External links

Gastrointestinal duplications
at Medscape {{Congenital_malformations_and_deformations_of_digestive_system Congenital disorders of digestive system