Objectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features of Meckel’s diverticula at different ages, genders, and pathology in order to serve as a reminder to clinicians when evaluating potential cases and to help obtain an early diagnosis. Methods. We collected information of patients with Meckel’s diverticulum diagnosed at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taiwan from 1984 to 2009. After performing a thorough review of their charts, the clinical features of the Meckel’s diverticula were analyzed according to age groups, gender, and pathology. Result. A total of 126 patients, with 90 males and 36 females, were enrolled in this study. Seventy-five patients were symptomatic and 51 Meckel’s diverticula were found incidentally during surgery for other diseases. Among symptomatic patients, 39% of pediatric patients and 5% of adult patients had intestinal hemorrhage. Twenty-eight percent of pediatric patients and 67% of adult patients had inflammation of Meckel’s diverticulum. Forty-six percent of males and 16% of females had inflammation. Conversely, 27% of males and 58% percent of females had intestinal obstruction. When Meckel’s diverticulum had ectopic gastric mucosa, it tended to cause intestinal hemorrhage when the patient is young. Conclusions. Age, gender, and pathology affect the clinical presentations of Meckel’s diverticula. 1. Introduction Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract. It was first described in 1809 [1]. MD is a remnant of the omphalomesenteric or vitelline duct [2, 3]. The prevalence ranges from 2 to 4%. Anatomically, MD is a true diverticulum containing all layers of the small intestine, arising from the antimesenteric border of the ileum and receiving its blood supply from a remnant of the vitelline artery [4]. MD involves a variety of complications, including intestinal obstruction, intussusceptions, ulceration, hemorrhage, vesico-diverticular fistulae, and tumors [4–8]. The incidence of complications differed between different articles, which analyzed only adults or pediatric populations [2, 8–11]. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features of MD at different ages and genders in order to serve as a reminder to clinicians when evaluating potential cases and to help obtain an early diagnosis. 2. Methods 2.1. Patients and Medical Records We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all patients with MD who were managed at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taiwan from 1984 to 2009. The diagnosis of MD was made according to surgical and pathologic
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