The natural history of Meckel's Diverticulum and its relation to incidental removal. A study of 202 cases of diseased Meckel's Diverticulum found in King County, Washington, over a fifteen year period

Abstract

To determine the natural history of Meckel's diverticulum, 202 case records of proved disease of Meckel's diverticulum were retrieved, covering a fifteen year period, from all the hospitals of King County, Washington (population, 1,143,800). Using the figure of 2 per cent incidence of Meckel's diverticulum, we calculated that a Meckel's diverticulum has a 4.2 per cent likelihood of causing disease during a lifetime, decreasing to zero with old age. Using previously published mortality and morbidity figures, we calculated that to save one patient's life from the complications of Meckel's diverticulum, it would be necessary to remove approximately 800 asymptomatic Meckel's diverticula. This would be likely to incur a significant amount of postoperative morbidity from postoperative intestinal obstruction and infection. We suggest that the prophylactic removal of Meckel's diverticulum is rarely, if ever, justified.