Meckel diverticulum adults

Meckel's diverticulum is a small pouch in the small intestine, a remnant of foetal development, present in a notable proportion of people from birth, though most never cause any symptoms. In adults, it can occasionally cause complications requiring assessment and treatment.

It results from incomplete closure of a structure present during foetal development (the omphalomesenteric duct), leaving a small pouch attached to the small intestine. It's a congenital condition present from birth, though it often remains asymptomatic throughout life.

Most people have no symptoms at all, but when complications occur, they can include abdominal pain, bleeding (sometimes from acid-producing tissue within the diverticulum), or bowel obstruction, sometimes mimicking appendicitis. Symptoms in adults can be less typical than the more classically described presentation in children.

Most cases cause no problems throughout life, but when complications like bleeding, obstruction, or inflammation occur, they need prompt assessment and treatment, similar to other acute abdominal conditions. Surgical treatment of a symptomatic diverticulum generally resolves the issue effectively.

It's not typically considered a directly inherited condition, resulting instead from a variation in foetal development rather than a specific inherited genetic mutation. Most cases occur without any specific family history.

Asymptomatic diverticula found incidentally usually don't need any treatment, but symptomatic cases, causing bleeding, obstruction or inflammation, are typically treated with surgical removal. Surgery is generally curative for symptomatic cases.

Diagnosis can be challenging given the vague and variable nature of symptoms, typically involving imaging such as CT scan, and sometimes a specific nuclear medicine scan designed to detect acid-producing tissue characteristic of some diverticula. It's sometimes found incidentally during investigation or surgery for another reason.

Treatment for a symptomatic diverticulum typically involves surgical removal, often performed using minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques, which generally resolves the symptoms effectively. Your surgeon will determine the most appropriate surgical approach based on the specific complication present.

Both can cause similar lower abdominal pain and are sometimes difficult to distinguish clinically, but Meckel's diverticulum is located in the small intestine rather than the appendix, and imaging or, sometimes, surgical exploration is needed to identify the specific cause when the diagnosis isn't clear. Treatment for both typically involves surgical removal of the affected structure.

Significant abdominal pain, bleeding, or symptoms suggesting bowel obstruction need prompt medical assessment, and severe symptoms need urgent same-day attention. Private gastroenterology or surgical consultations for milder, ongoing concerns can typically be arranged within about two weeks.