Intussusception of the Meckel's diverticulum within its own lumen: Unknown complication

Intussusception with the Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is a rare cause of chonic abdominal pain in the adults. We wish to present this first case of intussusception of MD within its own lumen without small bowel obstruction.

We report the case of a 27-year-old man who was admitted to the emergency room due to a diffuse abdominal pain. Abdominal CT scan showed invagination of MD. The exploratory laparoscopy revealed the presence of intussusception of MD within its own lumen. Segmental resection of the small intestine was performed. The patient was discharged on the third post-operative day.

The prevalence of MD is 1 to 4%. Diagnosis is often difficult and delayed because clinical symptoms are not specific and the diagnosis is performed mainly by imaging studies. Factors pre-disposing these patients to intussusception of MD within its own lumen include a narrow diverticulum, large diverticululm, and associated inflammation of the diverticulum. Intestinal obstruction is a more common complication in adults, whereas in children, bleeding is the more common complication. In our case, the patient had a diffuse abdominal pain without small bowel obstruction because the intussusception of MD was within its own lumen. Laparoscopy may be useful for confirming the presence of intussusception, and demonstrating the underlying organic lesion serving as the lead point.

It is important to differentiate this rare pathological feature of MD from other entities as the treatment is surgical rather than medical. Abdominal surgeons should bear in mind this rare entity.