Acute abdomen following axial torsion of a Giant Meckel's diverticulum in a young male: A case report

Torsion of Meckel's diverticulum-a case report and literature review

Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract. Torsion is a rare complication of MD with only 48 cases described in the English literature to date. We describe a case of a 22-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with lower abdominal pain. Pre-operative computed tomography scan suggested a torted MD. This was confirmed on diagnostic laparoscopy and managed with segmental resection of the MD and a concurrent appendicectomy. Histopathology confirmed torsion of MD and a normal appendix. The patient recovered well without any complications. Torsion occurs invariably with giant MD defined as a length of >5 cm. Surgical options for MD include diverticulectomy, wedge resection and segmental resection via laparoscopic or open approach. The rate of pre-operative diagnosis remains low but with advances in imaging and awareness of this condition, this is likely to increase with time.

Small Bowel Obstruction Due to Axial Torsion of Meckel's Diverticulum: A Case Report and Literature Review

Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is a commonly encountered congenital gastrointestinal abnormality. Although the frequency of MD-related complications such as inflammation or bleeding is relatively high, small bowel obstruction induced by axial torsion of the MD is rare. Therefore, we herein report such a case along with a review of the literature. A 34-year-old female with right lower quadrant pain, nausea, and vomiting was admitted to our hospital with the diagnosis of adhesive small bowel obstruction due to a cesarean section performed five years previously. A long intestinal tube was placed, and the patient's clinical symptoms and X-ray findings showed relief of the small bowel obstruction. However, she developed severe right lower quadrant pain after contrast examination through the long intestinal tube despite the fact that the contrast agent had smoothly reached the terminal ileum. Blood tests and enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a remarkable elevation of inflammatory markers, the appearance of ascites, and closed-loop-like and abscess-like appearances near the site of the caliber change. With a diagnosis of internal hernia, the patient underwent emergency laparotomy by means of a midline incision. Purulent ascites was observed within the abdominal cavity. Small bowel obstruction caused by a single band was observed in the right lower quadrant. Further exploration revealed an inflammatory MD with neck torsion and a mesodiverticular band (MDB). Simple mesodiverticular band resection by electrocautery and diverticulectomy by linear stapler were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 7. In the case of juvenile-onset small bowel obstruction, axial torsion of the MD should be considered as a differential diagnosis. Herein, we report such a difficult diagnostic case and the first English literature review of small bowel obstruction due to axial torsion of the MD.

Giant Meckel’s Diverticulum as a Cause of Post-traumatic Hemoperitoneum in a 25-Year-Old Male: An Extremely Rare Phenomenon

Following the "rule of 2", Meckel's Diverticulum (MD) is 2 inches or 5cm long. However, we report the case of an extremely large MD. To the best of our elucidated literature search, it is the first case of Giant Meckel's Diverticulum (GMD) from Pakistan presenting with post-traumatic hemoperitoneum. A 25-year-old Pakistani male presented to a surgical emergency with a two-hour history of generalized abdominal pain after blunt abdominal trauma. An exploratory laparotomy was carried out due to the deranged hemodynamic parameters and free fluid in the abdominopelvic cavity, revealing a 35 centimeters long MD with a bleeding vessel on its tip. Diverticulectomy with the repair of a small intestinal defect was performed after the evacuation of 2.5 liters of clotted blood. Histologic evaluation revealed ectopic gastric tissue. He had an uneventful post-operative stay and was discharged home. The current English scientific literature has adequate case reports documenting the complications of perforation, intestinal obstruction, and diverticulitis of Meckel's Diverticulum (MD) of normal length. However, this case report highlights the significance of an MD with an abnormal length which put the patient's life at risk of death in the setting of normal intra-operative anatomy of all other abdominal organs.

Meckel's diverticulum axial torsion: A rare complication case report of a 5-year-old girl

INTRODUCTION

Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital malformation of the gastrointestinal tract. Axial torsion of the diverticulum followed by gangrene is the rarest complication that can occur mainly in children.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 5-year-old girl complaining of vomiting, fever and abdominal pain came to hospital. In Laboratory findings, leukocytosis (WBC = 22.5 ∗ 10³/μl) was observed and mild interloop fluid with a whirlpool-like structure which suggests volvulus like obstruction was seen in sonography. The patient underwent emergency laparotomy. A necrotic congested Meckel's diverticulum was found during the surgery, which was axially twisted. After the operation, the patient recovered and was discharged six days later.

DISCUSSION

Axial twisting of Meckel's diverticulum is known as one of the rarest related complications, and it is caused by the rotation of the diverticulum around its axis. Among the factors that can make Meckel's diverticulum prone to twisting are its connection to the intestinal mesentery or the umbilical cord, or the presence of mesodiverticular bands. One of the appropriate diagnostic methods is the use of technetium-99. In Cases of small bowel obstruction, diverticulectomy and segmental or wedge resection have been introduced as suitable surgical methods. The delay in diagnosing a complex Meckel's diverticulum can lead to complications and mortality.

CONCLUSION

Rapid management of Meckel's diverticulum, which has become challenging due to its difficult diagnosis, is very important to obtain acceptable results.