title: Small Bowel Obstruction due to a Giant Meckel's Diverticulum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, with an average length of 3 cm. Complications occur in 6.4% and most commonly include inflammation and gastrointestinal bleeding. Preoperative diagnosis is demanding and achieved in 4%.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 34-year-old otherwise healthy patient presented with an acute abdomen due to small bowel obstruction. Computed tomography scan could not identify the underlying cause. Emergency laparotomy was performed, and a torqued giant Meckel's diverticulum measuring 17 cm was found as the underlying cause for the small bowel obstruction. Resection of the affected ileum segment and ileo-ileal reconstruction were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In extremely rare cases, small bowel obstruction in an otherwise healthy patient might be caused by torsion of a symptomatic giant Meckel's diverticulum.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Visceral Surgery, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas Minh
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Luu
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Visceral Surgery, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meurer
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Visceral Surgery, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Visceral Surgery, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Uhl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tannapfel
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Visceral Surgery, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braumann
keywords: Acute abdomen; Giant Meckel's diverticulum; Ileus; Small bowel obstruction