Abdominal Pain and Vomiting in a 2-Year-Old Boy: A Case of Intussusception and Perforated Meckel's Diverticulum

Meckel's diverticulum is a congenital anomaly that can lead to complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding, intussusception, and perforation. We present a case of a healthy 2-year-old boy who initially presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, which was misdiagnosed as acute gastritis. Despite symptomatic treatment, his condition worsened with the development of intermittent abdominal pain and non-bloody diarrhea. Initial imaging, including abdominal X-ray and ultrasound, did not reveal significant findings, and the patient was discharged after rehydration. However, he returned to the hospital with worsening pain and new reddish-brown stool, prompting further evaluation. A targeted ultrasound revealed ileo-ileal intussusception, and surgical exploration confirmed a perforated Meckel's diverticulum. Histopathology confirmed acute Meckel's diverticulitis with serosal inflammation and perforation. This case underscores the rarity of complications from Meckel's diverticulum, which typically presents with painless bloody stool, but in this patient, led to both intussusception and perforation.