Intestinal malrotation and Meckel’s diverticulitis in a 19-month-old boy

Abstract

Acute intestinal obstruction is a common paediatric surgical emergency and should be considered in any child presenting with vomiting, abdominal pain and abdominal distension. Many causes of bowel obstruction arise from congenital anomalies and recognition of the underlying cause of obstruction can be challenging in these settings. These cases can be further complicated if two or more congenital anomalies are present. Malrotation of the gut is defined as a congenital developmental anomaly of the rotation of the intestine and encompasses a spectrum of abnormalities. Meckel’s diverticulum is another congenital anomaly which occurs secondary to the failure of the vitellointestinal duct to close and can present in 2% of the population. We describe an interesting case of a 19 month old-boy who presented acutely with symptoms of bowel obstruction and was found to have both intestinal malrotation and Meckel’s diverticulum.

Meckel’s Diverticulitis in a Teenager With Unknown Intestinal Malrotation: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…Harvey and Giles first reported two clinical cases of this association in adults in 1974 [6]. The age of clinical presentation ranges from infancy to elderly [7], and it involves complications, such as perforation [7,8], obstruction [9], and even adenocarcinoma [10]. A common symptom among many cases is the presence of chronic pain before the acute onset and the absence of Ladd's bands, explaining the older age of appearance [8].…”