title: Meckel's diverticulum causing severe hemorrhage.
abstract: Meckel's diverticulum has varied presentations in children and often becomes a diagnostic challenge. The authors present a 10-year-old boy with abdominal pain and one episode of melena. His symptoms were undervalued during two previous hospitalizations in pediatric units until his hemoglobin level dropped from 8.2 to 3.5 g/dL. The laparoscopic intervention performed in emergency identified a bleeding Meckel's diverticulum that was resected after being exteriorized from the umbilicus. Our observation shows that severe hemorrhage due to a Meckel's diverticulum is possible albeit exceptional.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Federico II University of Naples, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy. ciroespo@unina.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Giurin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savanelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iaquinto
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ascione
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Settimi
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008467:Meckel Diverticulum / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D008551:Melena / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery