Nonceliac diaphragm disease of the duodenum.

A 58-year-old, Indo-Canadian man presented with upper abdominal pain and the clinical features of a partial, gastric outlet obstruction. Subsequent studies, including endoscopic examination, revealed diaphragm-like strictures in the descending duodenum. Other reported causes such as celiac disease and drug-induced small bowel diaphragms were excluded. Possibly, the changes seen in this patient were related to ethnic food-induced, mucosal injury to the upper gastrointestinal tract. Further studies are needed to evaluate potential toxicity or protective effects of different ethnic diets and their relationship with the development of different intestinal diseases.