[Adenocarcinoma of Meckel's diverticulum]

A case of adenocarcinoma of Meckel's diverticulum is reported. Small bowel neoplasias are the least frequent in the gastrointestinal tract and localization to the diverticulum is extremely rare. Among histological types, adenocarcinoma accounts for the minority of cases. Early diagnosis is difficult because of lack of specificity of signs and symptoms, except in advanced stages. Small bowel resection with lymphadenectomy is the recommended therapeutic approach. Although, in reported case it could not be performed, because of the diffuse intraabdominal metastasis at diagnosis. This and similar cases would open the discussion about a possible indication for prophylactic resection of Meckel's diverticulum. No definitive conclusion can be drawn at present since no follow-up study is available on the natural history of diverticula which have been observed during abdominal surgery and have not been resected.