Preoperative CT diagnosis of perforated Meckel’s diverticulitis in a young patient: a case report

Michele Gambardella; Michele Smaldone; Francesco Iazzetta; Maria Carmela Corbisiero; Gennaro Graviero; Giuseppe Morelli Coppola

doi:10.1515/jbcpp-2023-0237

Article

Preoperative CT diagnosis of perforated Meckel’s diverticulitis in a young patient: a case report

Michele Gambardella , Michele Smaldone , Francesco Iazzetta , Maria Carmela Corbisiero , Gennaro Graviero and Giuseppe Morelli Coppola

Published/Copyright: November 29, 2023

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From the journal Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology Volume 35 Issue 1-2

Abstract

Objectives

Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is a common asymptomatic congenital intestinal anomaly. Clinical manifestations of MD can occur in about 4 % of cases by the presentation of its complications, generally intestinal occlusion, bleeding, and diverticular inflammation. MD’s complications are challenging preoperative diagnoses, as manifest with clinical symptoms that overlap with those of other acute non-traumatic abdominal diseases. Thus, in the emergency setting, abdominal computed tomography (CT) represents an essential tool for the correct diagnosis of complicated MD.

Case presentation

We present a case of a preoperative CT diagnosis of perforated Meckel’s diverticulitis in a young patient admitted to our Emergency Department complaining of acute abdominal pain.

Conclusions

The case highlights the importance of evaluating Meckel’s diverticulum complications among the differential diagnoses of acute non-traumatic abdominal pain and the high sensitivity of CT in assessing their presence in the proper clinical setting.

Keywords: computed tomography; Meckel’s diverticulitis; perforation

Corresponding author: Michele Gambardella, Department of Radiology, Pellegrini Hospital, Naples, Italy, E-mail: michele.gambardella@aslnapoli1centro.it

Acknowledgments

None.

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: MG, MS: conseptualization and writing; FI, MCC: review and editing; GG, GMC: supervision and review.
Competing interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Research funding: Not applicable.
Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2023-11-07

Accepted: 2023-11-11

Published Online: 2023-11-29

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcpp-2023-0237

Keywords for this article

computed tomography; Meckel’s diverticulitis; perforation