Acute appendicitis and carcinoid tumor in Meckel’s diverticulum. Three pathologies in one: a case report

Incidental carcinoid tumor of the Meckel’s diverticulum is an uncommon event. Herein, a case of a carcinoid tumor in Meckel’s diverticulum that was incidentally found in a patient with acute appendicitis is presented. A 42-year-old Caucasian man presented with acute abdomen and clinical signs of acute appendicitis. A typical appendectomy was performed during which further abdominal exploration revealed a Meckel’s diverticulum 60 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve, with an irregular and somewhat indurated serosal region on one side. A stapled diverticulectomy was performed. Pathology revealed an incidental carcinoid tumor measuring 1 cm within the Meckel’s diverticulum. CT scan of the abdomen and 24-h urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid results were normal. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged at the 5th postoperative day. He is alive and without evidence of disease 23 months after the operation. Coexistence of acute appendicitis along with an incidental Meckel’s diverticulum raises controversies in their surgical management. We discuss the issues in managing patients with two or more of these coexistent pathologies.