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ONE PLATE (TIIREE FIGURES) Duodenal diverticula have been reported seen in about 2% of all fluoroscopic examinations of the gastrointestinal tract (Linsmayer, '14 ; Penhallow, '23 ; Nagel, ' 2 5 ) . The majority are seen in women (Downes, ' 2 2 ) and they occur most frequently during the second half of the life span (Case, '16). They have been divided into two classes, congenital and acquired (Butler and Rivo, '25) according to the structure of their wall. The wall of a congenital diverticulum has the same layers of tissue as the wall of the duodenum, while the wall of an acquired diverticulum is composed only of the mucous and submucous layers. These two layers form a pouch which penetrates the muscularis in the manner of a hernia.Duodenal diverticula occur most frequently on the second part of the duodenum (Cole and Roberts, '20). They report that a diverticulum of the first part of the duodenum was found in 3% of their cases, and even a smaller percentage of diverticula involved the third part of thc duodenum. Their frequent occurrence on the second part of the duodenurn is considered to be due to the weakness of the muscular layer at the site of the entrance and emergence of the blood and lymphatic vessels, and the entrance of the common bile and pancreatic ducts. The cause of the occurrence of diverticula in other parts of the duodenum is not so clear. Degeneration of the muscularis, ptosis of the duodenum, and an increase in intra-duodenal pressure have been cited as possible causes (Baldwin, ' 11 ) .