Meckel's diverticulum - an investigation based on pathological findings in 130 patients treated by surgery.

A retrospective investigation was carried out involving 130 patients from 5 hospitals in order to correlate symptoms with pathological findings in a surgically removed Meckel's diverticulum. In 20% of the patients surgery was performed because of complications due to the diverticulum, of which strangulation of the intestine and acute diverticulitis were the commonest. Heterotropic issue was found in 23% of the patients. The indication for prophylactic removal is dependent on the risk of complications; unanimity on this point does not exist in the literature and our own findings do not permit conclusions. However, they do confirm that the mortality rate for prophylactic removal of a diverticulum is virtually negligible.