Caecal obstruction secondary to a Meckel’s diverticulum

A Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, with a population incidence of approximately 2%. They are known to cause several complications including obstruction, haemorrhage, tumours, infection, and perforation. The vast majority however are asymptomatic and therefore provide a management conundrum when discovered incidentally. We report the case of a 71-year-old female who presented with abdominal pain and bloating. She was taken for a diagnostic laparoscopy which revealed a partial caecal obstruction secondary to a fibrous band running from a Meckel's diverticulum around the caecal pole to the mesentery. The band had likely been severed from the umbilicus but not resected at a previous surgery. The caecal obstruction was relieved and the diverticulum resected uneventfully. This rare case underscores the variety of complications that a Meckel's diverticulum can cause and highlights the difficult management decision when faced with an asymptomatic incidentally found Meckel's diverticulum.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Surgical Case Reports
Published
2025-03-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/jscr/rjaf210
Primary Topic
Gastrointestinal disorders and treatments
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Caecal obstruction secondary to a Meckel’s diverticulum

Nathan Brunott, Peter Tilleard
Journal of Surgical Case Reports
Gastrointestinal disorders and treatments
article

Caecal obstruction secondary to a Meckel’s diverticulum

Nathan Brunott, Peter Tilleard
article en

Abstract

A Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, with a population incidence of approximately 2%. They are known to cause several complications including obstruction, haemorrhage, tumours, infection, and perforation. The vast majority however are asymptomatic and therefore provide a management conundrum when discovered incidentally. We report the case of a 71-year-old female who presented with abdominal pain and bloating. She was taken for a diagnostic laparoscopy which revealed a partial caecal obstruction secondary to a fibrous band running from a Meckel's diverticulum around the caecal pole to the mesentery. The band had likely been severed from the umbilicus but not resected at a previous surgery. The caecal obstruction was relieved and the diverticulum resected uneventfully. This rare case underscores the variety of complications that a Meckel's diverticulum can cause and highlights the difficult management decision when faced with an asymptomatic incidentally found Meckel's diverticulum.

Journal of Surgical Case ReportsVol. 2025(4)
Cairns Hospital (AU)
Openalex Percentile: Top 87%
Gastrointestinal disorders and treatments
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