Meckel’s Diverticulum And Its Characteristics

Meckel’s diverticulum is a birth defect in the gastrointestinal tract. It is caused by an embryological developmental change in the period between the fifth and seventh week of pregnancy.

The incidence of this problem is between 0.3% and 3%. On average, only 2% of the population has Meckel’s diverticulum, but the symptoms manifest in about 5% to 7% of patients. Thus, most cases are asymptomatic.

This problem was first described by Johann Friedrich Meckel in 1809. It has the same prevalence in men and women. However, complications are three to four times more common in men. It is diagnosed more frequently in children than adults.

Meckel’s diverticulum

Meckel’s diverticulum is a small bulge that develops in some people’s small intestines. During embryonic development, the forearm communicates with the yolk sac through a canal called the vitellin canal.

As the embryo develops, both the yolk sac and the forearm disappear. However, a remnant of the vitellin canal remains in a small percentage of the population.

Also read: Nephrotic syndrome in children: Causes and treatment

Sometimes a Meckels diverticulum also has a small canal. It is the omphalomesenteric canal, a fibrous cord that connects the diverticulum and the umbilicus.

Only in rare cases does a umbilical fistula or yolk sac cyst manifest. A fistula of a umbilical cord is a direct communication between the intestine and the navel, which generates the passage of feces through the navel. A double yolk sac is a pouch located below the navel.

Main character traits

Meckel’s diverticulum consists of the same three layers that make up the small intestine. These are mucosa, submucosa and muscularis propria. It is a real diverticulum if it has three layers, as false diverticles have only the first two layers.

It is located in the antimesenteric border of the ileum and usually has a length of between five to 10 cm. It can reach a diameter of 2.5 cm. It usually receives irrigation from a remnant of the vitelline artery or superior mesenteric artery.

It is common that it manifests remnants of ectopic, colon, pancreas and duodenal gastric mucosa, hepatobiliary tissue and also Brunner’s glands. It is also common for it to have an endometrial tissue in the tip.

Manifestations

Meckel’s diverticulum can cause complications, usually in early childhood. 60% manifest before the age of ten, however, symptomatic individuals have a 4 to 6% risk of complications.

Bleeding is the most common complication. Usually, experts associate it with gastric ulcer in the gastric mucosa. Generally, it manifests itself at the age of two, and its symptoms are painless bloody stools. Another common complication is also abdominal pain.

Approximately 20% of patients develop diverticulitis, which is not clinically distinguishable from appendicitis. Intestinal obstruction occurs in 40% of cases. Between 0.5% and 3.2% of patients develop tumors. However, they are usually benign.

Also read: Can Diverticulosis Be Treated With Healthy Eating?

Other interesting facts about Meckel’s diverticulum

Meckel’s diverticulum is difficult to diagnose because it has symptoms similar to many other diseases. It is therefore common for medical professionals to request tests to confirm the diagnosis, such as a colonoscopy, abdominal technetium scan, or wireless capsule endoscopy.

If there is bleeding or intestinal obstruction, surgery may be performed to remove the diverticulum. The operation allows the specialist to remove it along with the intestinal areas surrounding it. This is done by traditional or laparoscopic surgery.

Surgery to treat Meckel’s diverticulum is very safe and rarely causes complications. Most patients recover completely after surgery and never suffer from this problem again.