A Meckel's diverticulum is a true congenital diverticulum. It is a vestigial remnant of the omphalomesenteric duct, and is the most frequent malformation of the gastrointestinal tract. It is present in approximately 2% of the population, with an equal distribution between males and females, although males more frequently experience symptoms. It is named after Johann Friedrich Meckel, who first described this type of diverticulum in 1809. The following codes are used with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O) is a domain specific extension of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems for tumor diseases. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The Mendelian Inheritance in Man project is a database that catalogues all the known diseases with a genetic component, and - when possible - links them to the relevant genes in the human genome. ... MedlinePlus (medlineplus. ... eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996. ... The Diseases Database is a free website that provides information about the relationships between medical conditions, symptoms, and medications. ... A congenital disorder is a medical condition or defect that is present at or before birth (for example, congenital heart disease). ... A diverticulum (plural: diverticula) is medical term for an outpouching of a hollow (or a fluid filled) structure in the body. ... A vestigial organ is an organ whose original function has been lost during evolution. ... The gastrointestinal tract or digestive tract, also referred to as the GI tract or the alimentary canal or the gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste. ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Meckel's diverticulum is located in the distal ileum, usually within about 60-100 cm of the ileocecal valve. It is typically 3-5 cm long, runs antimesenterically and has its own blood supply. A memory aid is "2 percent (of the population) - 2 feet (from the ileocecal valve) - 2 inches (in length)". Grays Fig. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: lack of content If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ...

Also can be present in an indirect hernia, where it is known as "Hernia of Littre." Furthermore, it can be attached to the umbilicus, with the possibility of local cysts, torsions of intestine around the intestinal stalk, leading to obstrucion, ischemia, and necrosis. An umbilicus which appears as a depression in the abdomen is referred to as an innie. The umbilicus (commonly called a navel, or belly or tummy button), is essentially a scar caused at birth by the removal of the umbilical cord from a newborn baby. ... In medicine, ischemia (Greek ισχαιμία, isch- is restriction, hema or haema is blood) is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. ... Necrosis (in Greek Νεκρός = Dead) is the name given to unprogrammed death of cells/living tissue (compare with apoptosis - programmed cell death). ...

Symptoms

Approximately 98% of people afflicted with Meckel's diverticulum are asymptomatic. If symptoms do occur, they typically appear before the age of two. In medicine, a disease is asymptomatic when it is at a stage where the patient does not experience symptoms. ...

The most common presenting symptom is painless rectal bleeding, followed by intestinal obstruction, volvulus and intussusception. Occasionally, Meckel's diverticulitis may present with all the features of acute appendicitis. Also, severe pain in the upper abdomen is experienced by the patient along with bloating of the stomach region. At times, the symptoms are so painful such that they may cause sleepless nights with extreme pain in the abdominal area. Rectal bleeding can refer to: Fecal occult blood Hematochezia Melena Category: ... Bowel obstruction is mechanical blockage of the intestines, preventing the normal transit of the products of digestion. ... A volvulus is a loop of bowel that has twisted on itself, possibly resulting in loss of blood flow to part or all of the intestines (strangulation). ... An intussusception is a situation in which a part of the intestine has prolapsed into another section of intestine, similar to the way in which the parts of a collapsible telescope slide into one another. ...

Diagnosis

A technetium-99m (99mTc) pertechnetate scan is the investigation of choice to diagnose Meckel's diverticula. This scan detects gastric mucosa; since approximately 50% of Meckel's diverticula have ectopic gastric (stomach) cells contained within them, this is displayed as a spot on the scan distant from the stomach itself. Patients with these misplaced gastric cells may experience peptic ulcers as a consequence. Other tests such as colonoscopy and screenings for bleeding disorders should be performed, and angiography can assist in determining the location and severity of bleeding.-1... Colonoscopy is the minimally invasive endoscopic examination of the large colon and the distal part of the small bowel with a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. ... Angiography or arteriography is a medical imaging technique in which an X-ray picture is taken to visualize the inner opening of blood filled structures, including arteries, veins and the heart chambers. ...

Treatment

Treatment is surgical, consisting of a resection of the affected portion of the bowel. Resection is a method of orientation (direction or position finding) using a compass and topographic map. ...