Management of Incidentalomas.

Incidental findings are common in the evaluation of surgical patients. Understanding the appropriate assessment and management of these frequent occurrences is important for the provision of comprehensive quality care. This review details the epidemiology, considerations, and recommendations for management of common incidental manifestations in surgical patients, including Meckel diverticulum, adrenal incidentaloma, thyroid nodule, solitary pulmonary nodule, small bowel intussusception, gallstones, and incidental appendectomy.

Meckel's diverticulum and the eponymous legend.

Johann Friedrich Meckel (1781-1833) was a 19th century anatomist born into an eminent dynasty. He was a professor of anatomy, pathology, and zoology at the University of Halle, in Central Germany. The diverticulum, a congenital remnant of the vitellointestinal duct was named after him. Other eponyms include Meckel's cartilage, Meckel syndrome, and Meckel-Serres law of recapitulation. His concepts in comparative anatomy, embryology, and teratology anticipated Darwin. This review is a short tribute to this legend and his prolific contributions. LEVEL: Historic review, level V.

An alternative management of a Littré hernia case: food for thought.

AIM: We present a novel approach to a Littré hernia case. CASE REPORT: A 62-year old male presented at our department with a painless mass in the inguinal area and was successfully treated for an inguinal Littré hernia. A Lichtenstein tension-free mesh repair was used without performing simultaneous diverticulectomy. DISCUSSION: Resection of an asymptomatic Meckel's diverticulum remains a controversial issue. In adult population, leaving an accidentally found silent Meckel's diverticula in situ could reduce the risk of postoperative complications without increasing late complications. Mesh-based techniques provide lower recurrence rates compared to non-mesh techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Management of asymptomatic Littré hernias presents a challenge for the operating surgeon. Treatment guidelines should be developed for the optimal management of these patients.

Divertículo de Meckel en adultos / Meckel´s diverticulum in adults

Introducción: El divertículo de Meckel es el remanente de la porción proximal del conducto vitelino y representa la anomalía congénita más frecuente del aparato gastrointestinal. Objetivo: Definir el valor de los métodos de diagnóstico actuales, las complicaciones y sus causas y el tratamiento apropiado del divertículo de Meckel. Métodos: Se realizó la revisión de la literatura en PubMed/Medline y en Infomed con las palabras clave Meckel´s diverticulum, diagnosis, complicaciones, tratamiento y las correspondientes en español, publicados en los últimos 5 años. Se incluyeron, de preferencia, los artículos dedicados a series de casos. Se excluyeron los dedicados a casos pediátricos. Resultados: Se encontraron 4260 artículos en Medline/Pubmed y 17 en Infomed. No se encontraron ensayos clínicos, metanálisis, ni revisiones sistemáticas. La mayoría de los artículos revisados hacen referencia a presentación de casos y algunos fueron estudios retrospectivos. Conclusiones: El divertículo de Meckel es raro en adultos y, regularmente, se diagnostica durante una laparotomía por otras causas. El diagnóstico preoperatorio es difícil porque los síntomas simulan los de otras afecciones del cuadrante inferior derecho; apendicitis aguda la más frecuente. La imaginología, principalmente la TAC, juega un rol importante en el diagnóstico preoperatorio. El tratamiento quirúrgico del divertículo de Meckel encontrado incidentalmente, es controversial. El divertículo sintomático debe ser extirpado conjuntamente con una porción del íleon adyacente, por la posibilidad de mucosa ectópica gástrica o pancreática, además de tumores asociados. Los índices de mortalidad en estos pacientes son altos. El diagnóstico temprano evita complicaciones adicionales y la hospitalización prolongada(AU)

Introduction: Meckel's diverticulum is the remnant of the proximal portion of the vitelline duct and represents the most frequent congenital abnormality in the gastrointestinal tract. Objective: To define the value of current diagnostic methods, complications and their causes, and the appropriate treatment for Meckel's diverticulum. Methods: Literature review was carried out in PubMed/Medline and Infomed, with the keywords Meckel's diverticulum, diagnosis, complications, treatment and the corresponding Spanish words, published in the last 5 years. Preferably, we included the articles about case series. We excluded those dedicated to pediatric cases. Results: 4260 articles were found in Medline/Pubmed and 17, in Infomed. No clinical trials, meta-analyzes or systematic reviews were found. Most of the articles reviewed refer to case presentations and some were retrospective studies. Conclusions: Meckel's diverticulum is rare in adults and is regularly diagnosed during a laparotomy for other causes. The preoperative diagnosis is difficult because the symptoms simulate those for other conditions of the right lower quadrant, acute appendicitis being the most frequent. Imaging techniques, mainly CAT, play an important role in the preoperative diagnosis. The surgical treatment for Meckel's diverticulum incidentally found is controversial. The symptomatic diverticulum must be removed together with a portion of the adjacent ileum, due to the possibility of gastric or pancreatic ectopic mucosa, as well as associated tumors. Mortality rates in these patients are high. Early diagnosis avoids additional complications and prolonged hospital stay(AU)

Adenocarcinoma located at a Meckel's Diverticulum: A case report and literature review.

Tumors arising from Meckel's diverticulum (MD) reported in the literature are mainly carcinoid and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. We herein report a rare case of adenocarcinoma arising from intestinal mucosa in an MD with multiple liver metastases at the onset of symptoms. A 57-year-old female complaining of bloody stool for 2 weeks was admitted to our hospital. Colonoscopy revealed massive bloody fluids but did not find any neoplasm. Computed tomography (CT) found a heterogeneous mass at the distal ileum and multiple liver metastases. A segmental ileal resection with local mesentery excision was performed to control the bleeding. During surgery, a tumor arising from a diverticulum in the antimesenteric border of ileum was observed. Histologic examination revealed moderate to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Majority of the MD remain asymptomatic and are diagnosed incidentally during small bowel contrast study, laparoscopy or laparotomy done for unrelated conditions, or until complications arise from the diverticulum. Malignancies are reported to account for only 0.5%-3.2% of the complications. The occurrence of adenocarcinoma in an MD is exceedingly rare. In the few cases described so far, the prognosis of adenocarcinoma within an MD has been poor due to the advanced stage as seen at the time of surgery. Despite the availability of many publications, there is a little consensus concerning the management of an incidental finding of MD. Adenocarcinoma in an MD is extremely sporadic and prognosis has been reported as very poor. However, early diagnosis is challenging. When found incidentally during laparotomy, MD should be carefully examined and best treated with prophylactic resection.

Umbilicus and its extensive clinical repertoire.

The umbilicus is involved in a wide range of abnormalities in infants and children. The most severe are evident at birth and include exomphalos (omphalocele) and gastroschisis, both of which can be life-threatening but are easy to diagnose. Exomphalos is often associated with other congenital abnormalities, whereas the associated problems in gastroschisis are largely confined to the gut. Infection of the umbilicus in the neonate presents as omphalitis. The causes of a moist umbilicus following separation of the umbilical stump are multiple, from the relatively minor umbilical granuloma or ectopic bowel mucosa to the more significant patent urachus that leaks urine. Patency of the entire vitello-intestinal (omphalomesenteric) tract allows air and faecal fluid to drain through the umbilicus. The clinical manifestations of persistence of the vitello-intestinal tract vary markedly according to which part remains: clinical presentations include melaena and anaemia, closed-loop bowel obstruction and Meckel diverticulitis. An umbilical hernia occurs when the umbilical cicatrix fails to close. On the other hand, the umbilicus has its uses, which range from being a route for intravenous access in the neonate to being a convenient point of access in laparoscopic surgery.

Reminiscing on Remnants: Imaging of Meckel Diverticulum and Its Complications in Adults.

OBJECTIVE: Meckel diverticulum may become symptomatic if it is complicated by hemorrhage, intestinal obstruction, diverticulitis, or tumor. Although classically described in children, it is often missed in adults because of lack of suspicion and difficulty in detection. The purpose of this article is to review the imaging findings and management of Meckel diverticulum and its complications. CONCLUSION: Although it is infrequently encountered incidentally, Meckel diverticulum should be considered especially when interpreting examinations for abdominal pain, small-bowel obstruction, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

A curious case of Meckel's diverticulum.

Meckel's diverticulitis or Meckel's associated pathology frequently presents in childhood with gastrointestinal bleeding. It is rarely seen in adults. It is a congenital abnormality that commonly goes undetected. We present a case of a perforated Meckel's diverticulum due to fishbone ingestion in an elderly gentleman. The aim of this case report is to highlight the rare presentation of a perforation in a Meckel's diverticulum due to an extrinsic pathology and to outline diagnostic and management options in cases of Meckel's diverticulum.

Clinical and Ultrasonographic Features of Secondary Intussusception in Children.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to review the ultrasonographic features of secondary intussusception (SI) in children and assess the value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of pediatric SI. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis on the ultrasound findings of 1977 cases of primary intussusception (PI) and 37 cases of SI in children. The SI cases were diagnosed by ultrasonography and confirmed by laparotomy or histopathologic diagnosis. The clinical and ultrasonographic features were analyzed and compared between these two groups. RESULTS: The age, no flatus or defecation, position, diameter and length of intussusception, the presence of free intraperitoneal liquid, and intestinal dialation at the proximal end present, all contributed to the differentiation between PI and SI (all P < 0.05). Ultrasound was able to demonstrate the pathological lead point (PLP) shadows in all of the 37 SI cases, either in the cervical part or intussusceptum of the intussusception. Among the 37 SI patients, 21 cases (56.8 %) were accurately categorized with lesions, including intestinal polyps, cystic intestinal duplication, intestinal wall lymphoma, and a small part of Meckel's diverticulum. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound can be used as a feasible and effective method to discriminate PI from SI. Once the PLP is detected, a definite diagnosis can be made. KEY POINTS: • The clinical and ultrasonographic features were compared between SI and PI. • The age, location, diameter and length of intussusception, and intestinal dilation were distinguishing features. • The causes of SI were found to be polyps, intestinal duplication, lymphoma, and Meckel's diverticulum. • Ultrasound can be used as an important method to diagnose SI. • Demonstration and confirmation of PLP are vital to diagnosing SI.

Radiologist's perspective for the Meckel's diverticulum and its complications.

The Meckel's diverticulum is the commonest congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, often presenting with complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding, intussusception, bowel obstruction and diverticulitis, which are often misdiagnosed. Imaging plays an important role in the early diagnosis and characterization of these conditions and is very helpful in decision making. The Meckel's diverticulum and its complications have myriad presentations and appearances on various imaging modalities. Thus, sound knowledge of the anatomy, embryology, clinical presentation, imaging characteristics and complications is crucial to the practice of abdominal imaging. We present a review of the literature and current radiological practices in the diagnosis and management of the Meckel's diverticulum and its various complications with special emphasis on the imaging of various complications, mimickers and pathological correlation.

Management of asymptomatic or incidental Meckels diverticulum.

This study was conducted to compare the clinicopathologic characteristics of incidentally found and symptomatic cases of Meckels diverticulum with the aim of arriving at a recommendation regarding the management of incidental cases. A retrospective chart review was performed over a period of 24 years. Incidental group had 52 patients and symptomatic group had 128 patients(71%). Obstruction (42.9%) was the most common presentation, followed by diverticulitis (41.4%). Gastrointestinal hemorrhage was found in 33.6% and was commonly associated with obstruction. If the diverticulum has umbilical connection, mesodiverticular band or heterogeneous on palpation, and if patient has no contraindication for diverticulectomy, we advocate prophylactic resection to avoid future life threatening complications.

CT findings in obturator hernia with Meckel's diverticulum--a case report.

Obturator hernia is rare, constituting <2% of all abdominal hernias. Clinical diagnosis is rarely made due to vague signs and symptoms. Delayed diagnosis markedly increases postoperative morbidity and mortality especially because the affected patients are often old with other comorbid conditions. Pelvic CT is almost 100% accurate in the diagnosis of obturator hernia and should be the modality of choice in older patients presenting with intestinal obstruction of unknown etiology.

Case report: Concurrent congenital complete atrioventricular block, Meckel's diverticulum and cerebral palsy in a 19-year-old male.

A case report is described of a patient with cerebral palsy and Meckel's diverticulum presenting with congenital atrioventricular (AV) block. There is limited information of congenital heart block in adults, because most literature has been devoted to congenital heart block in childhood. This unique case is discussed with other patient groups' with congenital AV block. Long-term follow-up of congenital heart block is reviewed together with the concept of prophylactic pacemaker placement in symptom-free adults.