title: Traumatic rupture of a Meckel's diverticulum due to blunt abdominal trauma in a soccer game: A case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  a Meckel's diverticulum is one of the most common congenital anomalies of the digestive tract. The reported lifetime complication rate is 4%, mostly due to hemorrhage, obstruction, perforation or inflammation. A symptomatic Meckel's diverticulum due to rupture after blunt abdominal trauma is very rare. We believe this case report is the first reporting a rupture of a Meckel's diverticulum after a low velocity blunt abdominal trauma and outlining the importance of a thorough and complete examination of the patient after blunt abdominal trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  a 17-year-old male presented with abdominal pain after blunt abdominal trauma during a soccer game. Physical examination showed signs of peritonitis in all quadrants of the abdomen. During admission the patient deteriorated with decreasing blood pressure and raising pulse rate. A CT-scan showed free abdominal fluid. Our patient was scheduled for an emergent laparotomy where a perforated Meckel's diverticulum with fecal spill was found. A segmental ileal resection was performed. Post-operative, patient developed a pneumonia and also intra-abdominal abscesses treated with percutaneous drainage. After an admission period of 17-days the patient was discharged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  perforation of a Meckel's diverticulum is rarely suspected as a cause of acute deterioration following blunt abdominal trauma. This case shows the importance of awareness of this kind of injury especially in male patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Groene Hart Hospital, Gouda, the Netherlands. Electronic address: w.s.f.j.tummers@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Tummers
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Groene Hart Hospital, Gouda, the Netherlands. Electronic address: joost.van.der.vorst@ghz.nl.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: van der Vorst
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Groene Hart Hospital, Gouda, the Netherlands. Electronic address: Dingeman.Swank@ghz.nl.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Swank
keywords: Blunt trauma; Meckel’s diverticulum; Traumatic rupture