Endoscopic characteristics of Meckel’s diverticulum in adults: a retrospective case-series from two tertiary general hospitals in China

Background To analyze the diversity in endoscopic manifestations of Meckel's diverticulum (MD) in adults by using balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) and supply more information on the application of BAE.Methods A retrospective study was carried out on adult patients diagnosed with MD by BAE in two tertiary general hospitals in China, from May 2007 to September 2021. The patients were divided into a small bowel bleeding (SBB) group and a control group according to their main symptoms. Clinical charts and endoscopic images were reviewed, analyzed, and summarized.Results Single diverticulum in the ileum and double-lumen sign were observed in all patients. The SBB group consisted of 51 patients, among which 35 cases of ulcerative lesions, 9 cases of erosive lesions, 9 cases of active bleeding/blood clots, and 4 cases of lumps inside the diverticulum were observed respectively. Majority of ulcerative lesions were inside the diverticulum (23/35). A circumferential stricture inside the diverticulum was discovered in 11 cases, and ulcerative lesions tended to occur at this structure (10/11). In the control group consisting of 15 patients, 1 case of erosive lesions at the orifice edge was observed. The percentage of patients with MD-associated ulcerative lesions was significantly higher in the SBB group than that in the control group (p < 0.001).Conclusions The endoscopic manifestations of MD in adults are extraordinarily complex and connected with the patients' primary symptoms. The internal features of MD should be regarded as crucial observational objectives in adult patients.