[A case of intestinal occlusion caused by a Meckel' diverticulum (etiopathogenetic, diagnostic and clinical considerations)].

The authors show a case of acute intestinal stoppage due to Meckel's diverticulum. After some notices about embryogenesis, pathological anatomy and symptomatology of Meckel's diverticula, they point out the difficulty to reach the diagnosis of such disease, which almost always is only done subsequent to the appearance of complications, such as: intestinal stoppage, inflammation, ulceration, perforation, neoplasms, bleeding. In fact, the diagnosis of Meckel's diverticulum is exceptionally preoperative and difficult on the basis of the symptomatology only, for which the disease can be responsible, whereas it can be more easily placed thanks to the contribution of instrumental methods, such as: barium meal, opaque enema, scintigraphy with 99mNa pertechnetate, selective arteriography of upper mesenterial artery. The diagnosis is more frequently interoperative, in course of explorative laparotomy or performed for other indications. Then the Authors state their orientation about the treatment, which is surgical in all the complex cases of Meckel's diverticulum, with a mention of the different operative techniques, and, as a conclusion, confirm the necessity for the systematic research of the asymptomatic diverticulum, the removal of which represents the only prophylactic measure against a permanent possibility and dreadful complicative evolution of same.