Perforated jejunal diverticulum: a rare case of acute abdomen

Jejunal pseudo-diverticulosis is a rare acquired herniation of the mucosa and submucosa through weakened areas of the muscularis mucosa of the mesenteric aspect of the bowel. They are asymptomatic in the majority of cases; however, they can present with a wide spectrum of non-specific symptoms such as chronic abdominal discomfort, postprandial flatulence, diarrhoea, malabsorption and steattorhoea. In up to 15% of cases, more serious acute complications may arise such as the development of intestinal obstruction, haemorrhage or as in our case, localized peritonitis secondary to perforation. Perforation carries an overall mortality rate of up to 40% and exploratory laparotomy followed by copious lavage with segmental resection and primary anastomosis remains the mainstay of managing such sequalae of jejunal pseudo-diverticulosis. Our case report highlights the importance of maintaining a high clinical suspicion of a perforated jejunal diverticulum in an elderly patient presenting with an acute abdomen.