Meckel's diverticulum as a cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in an adolescent patient.

Abstract

Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is one of the most common malformations of the gastrointestinal tract. Most cases are asymptomatic; clinical symptoms occur only in about 4% of patients, presenting as gastrointestinal bleeding, intestinal obstruction, inflammation, or perforation. Bleeding is most frequently observed in children under 2 years of age. Older patients tend to experience inflammatory complications. Here, we present the case report of a 17-year-old male patient with life-threatening acute gastrointestinal bleeding due to MD. Based on this case report, we performed a retrospective study of a small group of patients admitted to the Department of Pediatric Surgery and Traumatology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Thomayer University Hospital in Prague (KDCHT FTN) between January 2012 and March 2023 with the primary or secondary diagnosis of MD.