INCIDENCE, COMPLICATIONS, AND MANAGEMENT OF MECKELS-DIVERTICULUM

Objectives: To elucidate the incidence of Meckel's diverticulum; to de termine the correlation between the histologic type of the diverticulu m's mucosa and its clinical presentation, and to review our experience with Meckel's diverticulum. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Univ ersity hospital in loannina, Greece. Patients: A total of 2074 patient s undergoing an appendectomy were examined intraoperatively fur Meckel 's diverticulum (subgroup A(1)). In addition, Meckel's diverticulum wa s found incidentally in 15 patients who were undergoing intra-abdomina l surgery (subgroup A(2)). An operation for a complicated Meckel diver ticulum was performed in an additional 15 patients (group B). Results: Thirty-three (1.59%) Meckel diverticulae were found incidentally amon g 2074 patients in subgroup A(1). A positive correlation between Mecke l's diverticulum and male sex was found (P<.004), but no difference wa s found in sex distribution between patients in group B and subgroup A (1) (P<.6744). The histologic type of the mucosa (gastric) had signifi cant positive correlation with the clinical presentation of the divert iculum (complicated) (P<.001). Conclusion: Resection of the unexpected Meckel diverticulum can be performed safely with a low complication r ate, regardless of the patient's age.