Intestinal malrotation and Meckel’s diverticulitis in a 19-month-old boy

Acute intestinal obstruction is a common paediatric surgical emergency and should be considered in any child presenting with vomiting, abdominal pain and abdominal distension. Many causes of bowel obstruction arise from congenital anomalies and recognition of the underlying cause of obstruction can be challenging in these settings. These cases can be further complicated if two or more congenital anomalies are present. Malrotation of the gut is defined as a congenital developmental anomaly of the rotation of the intestine and encompasses a spectrum of abnormalities. Meckel’s diverticulum is another congenital anomaly which occurs secondary to the failure of the vitellointestinal duct to close and can present in 2% of the population. We describe an interesting case of a 19-month-old - boy who presented acutely with symptoms of bowel obstruction and was found to have both intestinal malrotation and Meckel’s diverticulum.