Small Bowel Diverticulum

A true diverticulum involves all layers of the intestinal wall, while a false diverticulum only includes mucosal and submucosal layers herniating through weak spots in the intestinal wall. Small bowel diverticula are usually asymptomatic and are often found incidentally during laparotomy. Meckel’s diverticulum is a true diverticulum, present in 2% of the population. Complications of Meckel’s diverticulum include gastrointestinal bleeding (due to ectopic gastric tissue), intussusception, diverticulitis (which can mimic appendicitis), and small bowel obstruction. The Technetium-99 m Pertechnetate Scan (Meckel’s Scan) is used to detect ectopic gastric mucosa in cases of bleeding. Wedge excision or segmental excision is recommended for symptomatic Meckel’s diverticulum.