The many faces of Meckel's diverticulum and its complications

Seo-Youn Choi1, Seong Sook Hong2, Hyun Jeong Park3

  • 1Department of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.

Insights

Meckel's diverticulum, a common congenital anomaly, often presents asymptomatically but carries a significant risk of complications like bleeding and obstruction. Early diagnosis through clinical and imaging findings is crucial for effective management.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Radiology
  • Pediatric Surgery

Background:

  • Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital malformation of the gastrointestinal tract, affecting 2% of the population.
  • While often asymptomatic, it has a 4-40% lifetime risk of serious complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the clinical and imaging findings of complicated Meckel's diverticulum.
  • To highlight the role of diagnostic imaging in identifying this anomaly and its complications.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 12 pathologically confirmed cases of complicated Meckel's diverticulum over 5 years.
  • Analysis of clinical presentations and imaging studies including Small Bowel Follow-Through (SBFT), CT enterography, and RI scintigraphy.

Main Results:

  • The study identified major complications including gastrointestinal bleeding, bowel obstruction, perforation, and inflammation.
  • Typical imaging features for Meckel's diverticulum and its complications were observed across various modalities.

Conclusions:

  • Clinical and radiologic findings are key to the early and accurate diagnosis of Meckel's diverticulum and its complications.
  • Prompt diagnosis facilitates timely intervention and management of this common congenital anomaly.

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