Faculty Collaboration Database

Gastrointestinal bleeding in adult patients with Meckel's diverticulum: the role of technetium 99m pertechnetate scan. South Med J 2002 Nov;95(11):1338-41

Date

01/24/2003

Pubmed ID

12540005

DOI

10.1097/00007611-200211000-00021

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0036873459 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   52 Citations

Abstract

Obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is often challenging for the primary care physician, but with improved diagnostic testing the cause of this blood loss is determined in most patients. However, approximately 5% of the time no underlying cause is found. One common etiology in patients younger than 40 years of age is a Meckel's diverticulum. The technetium 99m pertechnetate scan is the standard test for making this diagnosis. However, the sensitivity of the scan is only 62% in the adult population. In this case report, a patient with profound, hemodynamically significant GI blood loss had multiple negative studies. Subsequently, an abnormal vascular lesion was detected and during exploratory laparotomy, a Meckel's diverticulum was found and removed. Although the technetium pertechnetate scan is falsely negative in a number of cases, there are ways to increase its sensitivity and possibly avoid repeated testing.

Author List

Lin S, Suhocki PV, Ludwig KA, Shetzline MA

Author

Kirk A. Ludwig MD Chief, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
False Negative Reactions
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage
Humans
Male
Meckel Diverticulum
Radiopharmaceuticals
Sensitivity and Specificity
Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m
Tomography, Emission-Computed