38 - Prevalence of Meckel’s Diverticulum in Anatomy Lab

Poster Board Number: 38
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Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Abstract Body : Introduction & Objective
Meckel’s Diverticulum (MD) is an anatomical variation in the human body that results from a persistence of the vitelline duct, which normally obliterates during the fifth week of fetal development. MD is the most common congenital defect of the gastrointestinal tract, but is still relatively rare and only occurs in 2% of the general population . This occurrence is usually clinically silent, therefore most individuals that have the abnormality are unaware unless it becomes pathologic. Typical pathology includes gastrointestinal bleeding and obstruction of the bowels, arising from diverticulitis or small-bowel obstruction. . Surgical resection is the most common treatment and has a good prognosis. This variation usually ranges in size from 3-6 cm, but there have been reported cases of giant MD with sizes of up to 18 cm.
Materials & Methods
Routine cadaveric dissection was completed on 34 body donors at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB). Each donor's ileum and jejunum was inspected for congenital variations. Any unique findings were recorded. The small intestine and colon were intact within every donor. The circumference, length from the base, and distance away from the ileocecal junction was recorded.

Results
An intact MD was found in 1 out of 34 cadavers. This observance supports the rarity of this congenital abnormality. The length from base to apex was 6.2cm, the circumference was 6cm, and the distance from the ileocecal junction was 37cm. The measurements on the MD were compared to the average statistics of the anomaly, being 2 inches long and being 2 feet away from the ileocecal junction. In comparison, the donor’s abnormality was 0.44 inches longer than the average from base to apex, and 1.12 feet closer to the ileocecal function than the average MD.

Conclusion
In this study of anatomy lab donors, the hypothesis of the rarity of MD was supported. Only 1 out of 34, approximately 2.9% of the donors in the lab, presented with this congenital defect.

Implications
Future research that could be done on MD includes, but is not limited to, the clinical presentation of people with this congenital abnormality and how they present relative to the size of their diverticulum. This study supported the relative rarity of this abnormality, but exploring further pathologic presentations may prove fruitful.