Carcinoid of Meckel's diverticulum. Report of a case and review of the literature.

Abstract

A patient with carcinoid of Meckel's diverticulum, and a review of the literature are presented. Thirty-two of the patients were men and 8 were women. Their ages ranged from 12 to 80 years. Of the 37 in the 40 to 80 age group, 18 were in the age 50-59 group. Carcinoid of Meckel's diverticulum was an unsuspected and primarily incidental finding at autopsy and surgery in 19 and 21 cases respectively. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage occurred in one patient from an ulcerated carcinoid. Five of the diverticula were the seat of diverticulitis. The carcinoid metastasized in 8 patients. The liver was secondarily involved in 7, the mesenteric lymph nodes in 3, and the lung and vertebrae in one instance each. Three of the women with hepatic metastases had the carcinoid syndrome. The male predominance in carcinoid of Meckel's diverticulum probably reflects the two- to threefold greater incidence of Meckel's diverticulum in men and the increased frequency of carcinoid of the small intestine in men. Prophylactic surgical resection of this embryological vestige is recommended whenever possible.