Intussusception Secondary to a Meckel's Diverticulum in an Adolescent

• Main Authors: John Morrison, Rebecca Jeanmonod
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2011-01-01
• Series: Case Reports in Emergency Medicine
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/623863

A 13-year-old girl presented to the Emergency Department with vomiting and abdominal pain. On examination, she had only mild abdominal tenderness, but a mass was palpable in her right lower quadrant. Intussusception was diagnosed on ultrasound and confirmed on computed tomography (CT) scan, and operative findings revealed a jejunojejunal intussusception secondary to Meckel's diverticulum. Intussusception is a surgical abdominal emergency, which can present in all ages but is the most common reason for small bowel obstruction in childhood. It is a well-known cause of abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea in infancy but often not considered when evaluating the older child with similar symptoms. However, consideration of this diagnosis is important, as more than 1/3 of cases present beyond the age of 7. In older children, intussusception is more likely to be related to underlying pathology, such as Meckel's diverticulum, malignancy, or polyp. Intussusception should be on the differential in any patient with isolated abdominal complaints, and when it is diagnosed in an older child, it should be recognized that it is likely secondary to underlying pathology.