Giant Meckel’s diverticulum in an adult

Abstract

Meckel's diverticulum results from a partial persistence of the omphalomesenteric duct and is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, affecting about 2% of the general population. Its presentation as a giant Meckel’s diverticulum (>5 cm) is rare and is associated with major complications. We report a case of a 53 year-old woman with constipation for at least ten years. A colonoscopy from eight years ago suggested megacolon. The patient consults in the last month for abdominal pain associated with anorexia. The computed tomography scan image suggested an ileal megadiverticulum. An exploratory laparotomy revealed a saccular dilatation of the distal ileum of 6 x 15.5 cm, located 20 cm away from the ileocecal valve. We resected the involved segment of distal ileum and performed a manual ileo-ascendo anastomosis. The biopsy showed a saccular dilatation of the wall, lined by small intestinal mucosa with areas of gastric metaplasia, supporting the diagnosis of giant Meckel’s diverticulum.

Keywords

• Meckel's diverticulum
• abdominal pain
• ileal diseases