CT diagnosis of Meckel diverticulum in a paracolic internal hernia

Abstract

The autopsy incidence of internal hernia has been reported to be between 0.2% and 0.9%, and these hernias are usually diagnosed on imaging due to their complications or at surgery. Meckel diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, occurring in 1% to 3% of the population according to autopsy studies. The condition also is usually diagnosed at surgery, by barium studies or scintigraphy, or on cross-sectional imaging due to complications. We present an unusual case of a large Meckel diverticulum in a right paracolic hernia diagnosed on multidetector computed tomography. This diagnosis was made after attacks of subacute intestinal obstruction with the aid of multiplanar reconstructions. This case emphasizes the role of multidetector computed tomography and postprocessing techniques such as multiplanar reconstruction in the diagnosis of bowel pathology.