Abstract
Background: Meckel’s diverticulum is a common congenital abnormality of the gastrointestinal tract encountered in about 1–3% of the general population. Although most patients remain asymptomatic, a minority will experience serious complications such as acute abdomen, haemorrhage or obstructive ileus. Of all patients presenting with symptoms of obstruction due to Meckel’s diverticulum 7–18% is due to volvulus. Case Report: A 39-year-old male with multiple previous episodes of obstructive ileus presented with an acute abdomen. An exploratory laparotomy was performed in order to reveal the cause of the obstruction. An internal hernia with ileal volvulus and a Meckel’s diverticulum was found, which was later confirmed by histopathological examination. Conclusion: Meckel’s diverticulum is a rare cause of acute abdomen and obstructive ileus which should be considered when the symptoms date back to childhood. The difficulty of preoperative diagnosis dictates the need for exploratory laparoscopy or laparotomy as diagnostic tools.
Highlights
Academic Editor: Gaetano GalloReceived: 6 April 2021Accepted: 27 April 2021Published: 3 May 2021Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is the most common true congenital diverticulum found in the gastrointestinal tract
MD is usually asymptomatic [3], 4–6% of these patients are at risk of serious complications, most commonly bowel obstruction and diverticulitis in adults and intestinal bleeding in children [4]
We report a rare case of a 39-year-old male presenting with ileus caused by internal herniation and ileal volvulus due to Meckel’s diverticulum
Summary
Meckel’s diverticulum is a rare cause of acute abdomen and obstructive ileus which should be considered when the symptoms date back to childhood.
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