Bleeding Meckel’s diverticulum in a 4-month-old infant: Treatment with laparoscopic diverticulectomy. A case report and review of the literature

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Authors: J Rainer Poley, Thomas E Thielen, Jeffrey C Pence

Published Date April 2009 , Volume 2009:2

J Rainer Poley¹, Thomas E Thielen², Jeffrey C Pence³

¹Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition; ²Resident in Pediatrics; ³Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Surgery, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

Abstract: A bleeding Meckel’s diverticulum is presented in a 4-month-old African American infant. This event is rare at this age, and our patient is only the second 4-month-old infant reported in the English literature. The infant presented with painless frank rectal bleeding, the blood being maroon-colored, and clots were found in the diaper. There was also anemia, with an hemoglobin of less than 8 gm/dl. The color of the blood suggested a bleeding site in the ileocecal region, a Meckel’s diverticulum was suspected, which was then confirmed by an isotope scan. A typical Meckel’s diverticulum was found on laparoscopic surgery, was excised, and the infant made an uneventful recovery.

Keywords: infant-bleeding Meckel’s diverticulum, laparoscopic diverticulectomy