Myocardial Ischemia, a Rare Presentation of Meckel's Diverticulum

Meckel's diverticulum is a rare congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract. It is typically asymptomatic and found incidentally in the work-up of another medical complaint. However, it has been known to cause complications in a minority of cases.

This case involves an elderly male in his early 80's who presented to the emergency department with a 2-day history of emesis and hematochezia, in addition to sudden onset syncope and angina-like symptoms. Serial electrocardiograms demonstrated diffuse ST-segment depressions, consistent with myocardial ischemia. The patient underwent laboratory testing, imaging, endoscopy, and a subsequent exploratory laparotomy.

Laboratory results revealed lactic acidosis, anemia, and leukocytosis. Upper endoscopy resulted in negative findings. Imaging, including CT-scan and Technetium-99 RBC scan, visualized a gastrointestinal bleed. However, the arterial embolization procedure was unable to stop the bleeding diverticulum. Exploratory laparotomy revealed an infarcted Meckel's diverticulum.

This case demonstrates the importance of clinicians generating a wide differential when evaluating a gastrointestinal bleed, and considering Meckel's diverticulum as a potential cause of a bleed with an unknown source. The primary test to diagnose a Meckel's diverticulum is a Technetium-99 RBC scan. However, visualization via exploratory laparotomy is the best test for definitive diagnosis. The decision to intervene surgically earlier can limit mortality with symptomatic Meckel's diverticula.