Tag: diverticulosis

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Meckel’s Diverticulitis can Mimic Acute Appendicitis

A girl with lower abdominal pain. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock)
A girl with lower abdominal pain. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock)


A specimen of acutely inflamed Meckel’s diverticulum.

It was nine o’clock in the evening. I was on-call for the general surgery group. After a busy day at the office and the hospital, and after a late supper, I had just sat down to watch some news on TV. The phone rings. My wife answers. She says to me, “It’s for you, honey. It’s the hospital emergency.”

The ER physician had just examined an ill looking seven-year old boy with right sided abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever. The ER doctor wanted me to come and give a surgical opinion. The question I will be asked in ER is, “Does this boy have an acute appendicitis and does he need to go to OR for surgery this evening?”

After going through the boys history and physical examination, I came to the conclusion that the kid was quite sick with abdominal signs of acute appendicitis. Possibly perforated appendicitis and peritonitis. He was dehydrated. Intravenous fluids were given, preoperative antibiotics were given and he was taken to OR.

In the OR, as soon as the kid’s belly was opened, a large amount of purulent fluid poured out. The appendix looked normal. There was a hole in the small bowel where it meets the cecum (beginning of colon) where the appendix is located. The appendix, the terminal part of the small bowel and cecum were all stuck together due to the acute inflammation. To stop the leak from the small bowel, there was no choice but remove the terminal part of the small bowel, appendix and the cecum (called right hemicolectomy).

Postoperatively the child did very well. He went home nine days after surgery. Pathology of the specimen showed normal appendix, Meckel’s diverticulum with gastric mucosa with ulceration and perforation in the adjacent small bowel and peritonitis. Acid secretion from the gastric mucosa in the diverticulum had caused the ulceration and perforation.

A Meckel’s diverticulum is a true congenital diverticulum (bulge) in the small intestine present at birth. It is a vestigial remnant of the omphalomesenteric duct (also called the vitelline duct or yolk stalk), and is the most frequent malformation of the gastrointestinal tract.

It was first described by Fabricius Hildanus in the sixteenth century and later named after Johann Friedrich Meckel, who described the embryological origin of this type of diverticulum in 1809.

It is not that common. It is anti-mesenteric (on the free margin of the small bowel). For a medical student, the best memory aid is the rule of 2s: two per cent of the population, two feet from the ileocecal valve, two inches in length, two per cent are symptomatic, two types of common ectopic tissue (gastric and pancreatic), two years is the most common age at clinical presentation and two times more boys are affected.

Most people who are born with this have no symptoms. The most common presenting symptom is painless rectal bleeding such as black offensive stools, followed by intestinal obstruction, volvulus (torsion) and intussusception where a part of the intestine has invaginated into another section of intestine, similar to the way in which the parts of a collapsible telescope slide into one another. Over the years, I have seen examples of each one of the complication.

If a patient has symptoms and clinical diagnosis is not clear then it is worth doing a Meckel’s scan using technetium-99m (99mTc). This scan detects gastric mucosa; since approximately 50 per cent of symptomatic Meckel’s diverticula have ectopic gastric or pancreatic cells contained within them. Treatment is surgery.

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Diverticulosis

Dear Dr. B: I was recently diagnosed with diverticulosis of the colon. Is it true that I should avoid nuts, seeds and popcorn in my diet?

Answer: That is the advice given to patients with diverticulosis. I didn’t agree with that. My advice to patients with diverticulosis is to eat whatever they like as long as they chew well. Recent studies have suggested there should be no diet restriction for patients with diverticulosis

Diverticular disease of the colon is a very common condition. Many people have this condition and have no symptoms and are not even aware of its presence.

What does the term diverticular disease mean?

This means there are little sacks or pockets sticking out of the wall of the colon – called diverticula (if multiple) or diverticulum (if single). Usually, they are multiple and are mainly concentrated in the sigmoid colon in the left lower abdomen. There may be more in the rest of the colon. In Latin the word diverticulum means a wayside inn – presumably a place of ill repute!

Diverticulosis of the colon was first described in 1849. So it has been with us for a long time. But why do people get this condition is not very clear. It is an acquired condition. One textbook of surgery says that it is reasonable to believe that colonic diverticula develop at weak points in the bowel wall under the influence of increased intraluminal pressure.

Many other hypotheses have been advanced but one most convincing is the spasm of the muscles of the wall of the bowel with irregular contractions of the affected part that increases the intraluminal pressure.

This condition is very uncommon under the age of 35. Above 35 years the incidence increases steadily so that by the sixth decade nearly 30 percent of all patients have diverticulosis.

There are many complications associated with diverticulosis and diverticulitis. These are bleeding, bowel obstruction due to narrowing of the colon, perforation and peritonitis, fistula (tunnel) formation between the colon and urinary bladder, vagina, and small intestine. Diverticulosis does not turn into cancer but it can hide cancer and make diagnoses of cancer difficult.

Uncomplicated diverticulosis is generally believed to be without symptoms and is discovered incidentally during barium enema or colonoscopic examination. Ill-defined symptoms of abdominal discomfort, gas, bloating and some change in bowel habit are difficult to ascribe to diverticulosis. But could be part of the spastic bowel syndrome.

How can I get rid of the condition?

There is only one way to do this is to surgically remove the affected piece of bowel. When is the right time to do this depends on many factors including associated symptoms and complications. The best thing is to get a surgical opinion. Planned resection generally requires no colostomy.

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Diverticular Disease

Dear Dr. B: Recently I was in hospital with left lower abdominal pain and fever. I had intravenous antibiotics and investigations showed I had diverticulitis of the colon. Thanks to my doctor I am feeling better. Can you please tell me more about diverticular disease and diverticulitis and how can I be cured of this “disease”? Yours Mr. DD.

Dear Mr. DD: Diverticular disease of the colon is a very common condition. But is it really a “disease”?

No. Many people have this condition and have no symptoms and are not even aware of its presence.

What does the term diverticular disease mean?

This means there are little sacks or pockets sticking out of the wall of the colon – called diverticula (if multiple) or diverticulum (if single). Usually, they are multiple and are mainly concentrated in the sigmoid colon in the left lower abdomen. There may be more in the rest of the colon. In Latin the word diverticulum means a wayside inn – presumably a place of ill repute!

Diverticulosis of the colon was first described in 1849. So it has been with us for a long time. But why do people get this condition is not very clear. It is an acquired condition. One textbook of surgery says that it is reasonable to believe that colonic diverticula develop at weak points in the bowel wall under the influence of increased intraluminal pressure.

Many other hypotheses have been advanced but one most convincing is the spasm of the muscles of the wall of the bowel with irregular contractions of the affected part that increases the intraluminal pressure.

This condition is very uncommon under the age of 35. Above 35 years the incidence increases steadily so that by the sixth decade nearly 30 percent of all patients have diverticulosis.

What is diverticulitis?

This is inflammation of the diverticula. Mr. DD, this is probably what you had if you were in hospital with pain and fever. Usually, the condition responds to antibiotics. Sometimes there is relentless inflammation and one may end up having emergency surgery because an abscess has developed. Emergency surgery involves removal of piece of infected bowel and temporary colostomy.

There are many complications associated with diverticulosis and diverticulitis. These are bleeding, bowel obstruction due to narrowing of the colon, perforation and peritonitis, fistula (tunnel) formation between the colon and urinary bladder, vagina, and small intestine. Diverticulosis does not turn into cancer but it can hide cancer and make diagnoses of cancer difficult.

Uncomplicated diverticulosis is generally believed to be without symptoms and is discovered incidentally during barium enema or colonoscopic examination. Ill-defined symptoms of abdominal discomfort, gas, bloating and some change in bowel habit are difficult to ascribe to diverticulosis. But could be part of the spastic bowel syndrome.

Doc, how can I get rid of the condition?

There is only one way to do this is to surgically remove the affected piece of bowel. When is the right time to do this depends on many factors including associated symptoms and complications. The best thing is to get a surgical opinion. Planned resection generally requires no colostomy.

Mr. DD, I hope this gives you enough information about your problem. Eat a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, keep your bowels regular and discuss your options with your family doctor or a surgeon.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!