4038 Meckel ’ s diverticulum – a case study

Introduction The Meckel’s diverticulum or diverticulum ilei is the most common unusual congenital condition of gastrointestinal tract. It is present in fetal life as the vitello-intestinal duct, which usually disappears later in seventh week of gestational period. The incidence of Meckel’s diverticulum in the general population has been estimated to be about 2% [1]. Reports from autopsy and retrospective studies range from 0.14-4.5% [2, 3]. Although Meckel’s diverticulum occurs in both sexes, it may cause complications more frequently in males, and therefore is often diagnosed in males [4–6]. Ninety per cent of diverticula are within 90 cm of distance to the ileocaecal valve, although diverticula up to 180 cm from ileocaecal valve have been observed. A person with Meckel’s diverticulum has 4-6% lifetime risk of developing a complication [7]. The major complications are diverticulitis and perforation [6].