Presence of a Gastric Diverticulum

Description

Arising from the gastric wall is an outpouching consistent with a gastric diverticulum, positioned near the proximal stomach where the esophagus joins at the cardia and the fundus sweeps superiorly beneath the left hemidiaphragm. The esophagus descends to the gastroesophageal junction, and the stomach continues inferiorly into the body toward the pyloric region, with mucosal rugae lining the lumen. Curvatures frame the organ, with the lesser curvature along the medial border and the greater curvature forming the lateral contour, while the diverticular sac projects outward from the main lumen. Orientation is clear. Gastric diverticula most often arise on the posterior wall of the fundus, a location that matters because symptoms can be absent or nonspecific until complications occur, and the lesion can be missed on routine endoscopy if the sac neck sits high near the cardia. When patients present with halitosis, postprandial fullness, upper abdominal pain, or occult bleeding, a barium upper GI series can outline the diverticular cavity and distinguish it from a hiatal hernia or a paraesophageal pouch at the esophageal hiatus. Surgical planning also benefits from this anatomy: laparoscopic resection typically targets the fundal diverticulum while respecting the angle of His and adjacent short gastric vessels along the greater curvature, where traction can provoke bleeding and limit exposure. Use this artwork in undergraduate GI anatomy and physiology modules to teach stomach regions and mucosal folding while introducing true diverticulum morphology as a focal abnormality. It also suits gastroenterology and general surgery lectures, radiology teaching files discussing contrast studies of the proximal stomach, and patient-facing materials explaining why a fundal pouch may require observation versus diverticulectomy. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.