Introduction:
Meckel's diverticulum (MD) commonly presents as gastrointestinal bleeding in the pediatric population and intestinal obstruction in adults. There is no consensus for surgical excision of an incidentally diagnosed MD. We present a hitherto unreported vascular cause of intestinal gangrene due to MD.
Case presentation:
A 16year old boy was referred as an acute abdomen for tertiary hospital management. Clinical examination and CT suggested small bowel obstruction and emergency laparotomy was performed. A giant MD compressing the root of mesentery, causing critical occlusion of the ileal vessels and extensive ileal gangrene was found. The gangrenous bowel was resected and a jejuno-ascending colon anastamosis was done. Postoperative recovery was uneventful.
Discussion:
This case report highlights an unrecognized complication of a giant Meckel's diverticulum. There are no clear guidelines on the management of an incidentally discovered MD though certain studies recommend resection of an incidental MD in males and individuals less than 50 years of age or when the MD is larger than 2cm or contains histologically abnormal tissue. Other meta-analyses do not recommend routine resection. MD has been identified as a high risk region for ileal malignancy and its resection usually has minimal morbidity. A valid consent for opportunistic resection of a Meckel's diverticulum in any laparotomy would be discerning.
Conclusion:
Appropriate opportunistic resection of an incidental Meckel's diverticulum may prevent extensive surgical morbidity later. This case highlights the need to revisit guidelines for management of incidentally identified MD.