Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Detects Meckel’s Diverticulum in a Child with Unexplained Intestinal Blood Loss
Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, affecting about 2% of the population. Most cases of Meckel’s diverticula are asymptomatic. The diagnosis of symptomatic MD is often difficult to make. We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who pres...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Karger Publishers
2012-10-01
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| Series: | Case Reports in Gastroenterology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/343593 |
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| author | I. Xinias A. Mavroudi M. Fotoulaki G. Tsikopoulos A. Kalampakas G. Imvrios |
| author_facet | I. Xinias A. Mavroudi M. Fotoulaki G. Tsikopoulos A. Kalampakas G. Imvrios |
| author_sort | I. Xinias |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, affecting about 2% of the population. Most cases of Meckel’s diverticula are asymptomatic. The diagnosis of symptomatic MD is often difficult to make. We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who presented with GI bleeding due to MD. The diagnostic difficulties after an initial negative endoscopic evaluation and the diagnostic value of the various endoscopic procedures are discussed. The patient had suffered from bright red stools for 20 h before hospital admission. GI scintigraphy with 99mTc-Na-pertechnetate was negative for heterotopic gastric tissue in the small bowel area. Colonoscopy performed in order to exclude Crohn’s disease was also negative. He was placed on ranitidine at a dose of 6 mg/kg body weight twice daily. The patient remained asymptomatic over a period of 6 months before he was readmitted due to macroscopic rectal bleeding. Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy used to investigate the source of bleeding showed normal macroscopic findings. Radiolabeling of blood constituents with 99mTc on delayed imaging showed radionucleotide concentration in the ascending and transverse colon suggestive of a lesion in the ileocecal area. Further investigation with the use of wireless capsule endoscopy revealed a MD. Wireless capsule endoscopy may thus be indicated for patients with GI blood loss when other diagnostic methods, such as upper and lower endoscopy and colonoscopy, have failed to identify the source of bleeding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:51:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-160f518157d045c8ab31bc02c81dc37a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-0631 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:51:26Z |
| publishDate | 2012-10-01 |
| publisher | Karger Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Reports in Gastroenterology |
| spelling | doaj.art-160f518157d045c8ab31bc02c81dc37a2022-12-21T19:28:18ZengKarger PublishersCase Reports in Gastroenterology1662-06312012-10-016365065910.1159/000343593343593Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Detects Meckel’s Diverticulum in a Child with Unexplained Intestinal Blood LossI. XiniasA. MavroudiM. FotoulakiG. TsikopoulosA. KalampakasG. ImvriosMeckel’s diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, affecting about 2% of the population. Most cases of Meckel’s diverticula are asymptomatic. The diagnosis of symptomatic MD is often difficult to make. We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who presented with GI bleeding due to MD. The diagnostic difficulties after an initial negative endoscopic evaluation and the diagnostic value of the various endoscopic procedures are discussed. The patient had suffered from bright red stools for 20 h before hospital admission. GI scintigraphy with 99mTc-Na-pertechnetate was negative for heterotopic gastric tissue in the small bowel area. Colonoscopy performed in order to exclude Crohn’s disease was also negative. He was placed on ranitidine at a dose of 6 mg/kg body weight twice daily. The patient remained asymptomatic over a period of 6 months before he was readmitted due to macroscopic rectal bleeding. Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy used to investigate the source of bleeding showed normal macroscopic findings. Radiolabeling of blood constituents with 99mTc on delayed imaging showed radionucleotide concentration in the ascending and transverse colon suggestive of a lesion in the ileocecal area. Further investigation with the use of wireless capsule endoscopy revealed a MD. Wireless capsule endoscopy may thus be indicated for patients with GI blood loss when other diagnostic methods, such as upper and lower endoscopy and colonoscopy, have failed to identify the source of bleeding.http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/343593Meckel’s diverticulumGastrointestinal bleedingChildrenWireless capsule endoscopy |
| spellingShingle | I. Xinias A. Mavroudi M. Fotoulaki G. Tsikopoulos A. Kalampakas G. Imvrios Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Detects Meckel’s Diverticulum in a Child with Unexplained Intestinal Blood Loss Case Reports in Gastroenterology Meckel’s diverticulum Gastrointestinal bleeding Children Wireless capsule endoscopy |
| title | Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Detects Meckel’s Diverticulum in a Child with Unexplained Intestinal Blood Loss |
| title_full | Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Detects Meckel’s Diverticulum in a Child with Unexplained Intestinal Blood Loss |
| title_fullStr | Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Detects Meckel’s Diverticulum in a Child with Unexplained Intestinal Blood Loss |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Detects Meckel’s Diverticulum in a Child with Unexplained Intestinal Blood Loss |
| title_short | Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Detects Meckel’s Diverticulum in a Child with Unexplained Intestinal Blood Loss |
| title_sort | wireless capsule endoscopy detects meckel s diverticulum in a child with unexplained intestinal blood loss |
| topic | Meckel’s diverticulum Gastrointestinal bleeding Children Wireless capsule endoscopy |
| url | http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/343593 |
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