Bleeding Meckel's diverticulum presenting as focal extravasation on pertechnetate scintigraphy

Area of Science:

• Nuclear medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Pediatric imaging

Background:

• Gastrointestinal hemorrhage evaluation often involves diagnostic imaging.
• Meckel's scans are commonly used in pediatric patients to identify Meckel's diverticulum.
• Typical Meckel's diverticulum on scan shows focal uptake in the right lower abdomen.

Observation:

• This study describes a case in an adult patient.
• The adult patient presented with brisk, intermittent intraluminal tracer extravasation.
• This presentation is atypical for Meckel's diverticulum.

Findings:

• The bleeding Meckel's diverticulum in this adult case manifested as intraluminal tracer extravasation.
• This finding differs from the typical focal uptake seen in children.
• The intermittent nature of the extravasation was a key characteristic.

Implications:

• This case highlights the variability of Meckel's diverticulum presentation in adults.
• Nuclear medicine imaging, specifically Meckel's scans, can be valuable in diagnosing adult gastrointestinal bleeding.
• Radiologists and gastroenterologists should consider atypical presentations of Meckel's diverticulum in adult diagnostic workups.