Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to characterize the clinical, diagnostic, operative, and pathological features of symptomatic Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) in a pediatric population.

Patients and methods: This retrospective, single-center study included 71 pediatric patients who underwent surgery for symptomatic MD between January 2013 and January 2025. Patients were categorized according to presentation as gastrointestinal bleeding or non-bleeding. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, imaging, operative, and histopathological data were analyzed. Comparisons between groups were performed using appropriate statistical tests, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Results: Seventy-one pediatric patients (56 males, 15 females; mean age: 8.47 ± 5.24 years; range, 0 to 18 years) met the inclusion criteria. Abdominal pain was the most common symptom, followed by gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients presenting with bleeding were younger and had significantly lower hemoglobin levels compared to those without bleeding (p < 0.05). Low hemoglobin levels were predominantly observed in the bleeding group. Ultrasonography frequently demonstrated findings such as intussusception or ileus, and technetium-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy showed a high positivity rate in evaluated patients. All patients underwent surgical treatment. Open surgery was the most common approach, although minimally invasive techniques were also used. The distribution of surgical approaches differed between groups but did not reach statistical significance. Segmental resection was the most frequently performed procedure. Ectopic mucosa was identified in both groups without a significant difference. No major postoperative complications or MD-related readmissions were observed during follow-up.

Conclusion: Symptomatic MD in children presents with a broad clinical spectrum. Gastrointestinal bleeding is associated with younger age and significant anemia. Although imaging modalities are helpful, definitive diagnosis and treatment rely on surgical intervention. Early recognition and timely management are associated with favorable outcomes.

Citation: Gul C, Gulcin N, Zoroglu HB, Arpacik M, Mirapoglu SL, Kaymakci A, et al. Meckel’s diverticulum in pediatric patients: A retrospective analysis. Turkish J Ped Surg 2026;40(2):74-80. doi: 10.62114/JTAPS.2026.214.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

AI Disclosure
The authors declare that artificial intelligence (AI) tools were not used, or were used solely for language editing, and had no role in data analysis, interpretation, or the formulation of conclusions. All scientific content, data interpretation, and conclusions are the sole responsibility of the authors. The authors further confirm that AI tools were not used to generate, fabricate, or ‘hallucinate’ references, and that all references have been carefully verified for accuracy.

N.G., C.G., C.S.: Idea/concept, control/supervision; N.G., C.G., H.B.Z., C.S.: Design; N.G., H.B.Z., C.G.: Data collection and/or processing; N.G., C.G., H.B.Z., S.L.M., C.S.: Analysis and/or interpretation; N.G., C.G.: Literature review, writing the article, critical review; H.B.Z., M.A., S.L.M., A.K., C.S.: References and fundings materials other.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

The authors would like to thank all healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis, surgical management, and follow-up of the patients included in this study. We also acknowledge the contribution of the medical records staff for their assistance in data retrieval.