[The pathology of Meckel's diverticulum]

Sixteen cases of Meckel's diverticulum are reported, 14 of them detected during emergency operative intervention for acute surgical abdomen and 2 during planned operation. The complicated forms of Meckel's diverticulum were 10: acute diverticulitis 4 (25 per cent), intestinal obstruction 4 (25 per cent), neoplastic process 1 (6.25 per cent), intestinal hemorrhage 1 (6.25 per cent). Symptom-free were 43.75 per cent of the diverticuli. The clinical symptoms of acute diverticulitis resembled much those of acute appendicitis. The method of choice for its surgical management is cuneiform resection of the intestinal wall at the site of the diverticulum and transverse reconstruction of the intestinal lumen. Cancer of the diverticulum requires extended intestinal resection.