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

Abstract

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.