Meckel's diverticulum in children: Our 12-year experience

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Congenital Malformations
• Gastrointestinal Disorders

Background:

• Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is a common congenital gastrointestinal malformation with diverse clinical presentations.
• This study reviews 12 years of pediatric Meckel's diverticulum cases at a tertiary care hospital in North India.
• Highlights the occurrence of isolated gangrene of MD, associated with increased morbidity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the clinical presentations and outcomes of Meckel's diverticulum in children.
• To investigate the incidence of isolated gangrene of MD and its impact on morbidity.
• To contribute data from North India to the existing literature on pediatric Meckel's diverticulum.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of medical records of pediatric patients operated for Meckel's diverticulum over 12 years.
• Data collection included patient demographics, clinical presentation, surgical findings, and outcomes.
• Focus on identifying common presentations, complications like isolated gangrene, and associated morbidities.

Main Results:

• Sixty-five patients (52 males, 13 females; mean age 3.2 years) were operated for MD.
• Intestinal obstruction was the most common presentation (86.1%), followed by hemorrhage (4.6%) and diverticulitis (3%).
• Isolated gangrene of MD occurred in 10 cases, often associated with intestinal obstruction; mortality was 1.5% and morbidity 4.6%.

Conclusions:

• Meckel's diverticulum can present asymptomatically or with life-threatening complications.
• Intestinal obstruction is a more frequent presentation than hemorrhage in pediatric MD.
• Isolated gangrene of MD with obstruction is a significant finding not commonly reported in literature.