[Is the search for Meckel's diverticulum in appendectomy still a current problem in common surgical practice?]

During a ten year period from 1978 to 1988, 46 Meckel's diverticula (MD) were removed from patients with clinical symptoms of appendicitis. These were detected incidentally among 3230 appendectomies which were routinely followed by small bowel exploration. Only 45.6% had histopathologically inconspicuous diverticular mucosa. 17.4% of MD displayed pathological mucosal changes in the face of a normal appendix. In 10 patients both conditions co-existed. There were no postoperative deaths. Postoperative complications requiring operative revision occurred in one patient. The search for a MD should be routine, and not only consequence of finding a normal appendix. The rationale for the routine removal of a MD is not only its role as a potential risk factor and the lesser operative risk, but the fact that a macroscopically bland diverticulum reveals histopathological abnormalities considerably more often than commonly assumed.