[Severe asymptomatic iron deficiency anemia as an unusual presentation of a Meckel diverticulum]

Rev Gastroenterol Peru. 2018 Oct-Dec;38(4):365-369.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Meckel's diverticulum is a rare clinical entity in clinical practice. However, it should be considered as an important differential diagnosis in patients with both obscure overt and occult gastrointestinal bleeding. Years ago, the evaluation of the small bowel was impossible without surgery, nowadays the development of new diagnostic methods has changed this horizon. Capsule endoscopy cannot take biopsies, has not bowel insufflation, and its final report depends a lot on the interpretation of the evaluator. However, capsule endoscopy is usually the first procedure in all patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, because is minimally invasive, and it has a main role in predicting the better route to perform a balloon assisted enteroscopy single or double) that allows us to explore the small bowel, take biopsies and do therapeutic procedures. Capsule endoscopy and balloon assisted enteroscopy are complementary procedures in every patient with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. In this report, we present a case of young adult without history of gastrointestinal bleeding who had severe asymptomatic iron deficiency anemia, in which the evaluation of small bowel with capsule endoscopy and balloon-assisted enteroscopy allow us to diagnosis ulcerated Meckel diverticulum.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / etiology
  • Asymptomatic Diseases*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Meckel Diverticulum / complications
  • Meckel Diverticulum / diagnosis*
  • Severity of Illness Index