Bleeding Meckel’s diverticulum in a 4-month-old infant: Treatment with laparoscopic diverticulectomy. A case report and review of the literature

J Rainer Poley1, Thomas E Thielen2, Jeffrey C Pence31Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition; 2Resident in Pediatrics; 3Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Surgery, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USAAbstract: A bleeding Meckel’s diverticulum is presented in a 4-month-old African American infant. This event is rare at this age, and our patient is only the second 4-month-old infant reported in the English literature. The infant presented with painless frank rectal bleeding, the blood being maroon-colored, and clots were found in the diaper. There was also anemia, with an hemoglobin of less than 8 gm/dl. The color of the blood suggested a bleeding site in the ileocecal region, a Meckel’s diverticulum was suspected, which was then confirmed by an isotope scan. A typical Meckel’s diverticulum was found on laparoscopic surgery, was excised, and the infant made an uneventful recovery. Keywords: infant-bleeding Meckel’s diverticulum, laparoscopic diverticulectomy