Histopathologic Findings of Button Battery-Related Changes in a Perforated Meckel’s Diverticulum: Report of Three Cases

Abstract

Background: A button battery can cause perforation of Meckel’s diverticulum if sequestered in this blind ending bowel segment. Reported cases focused on clinical manifestations, management options, radiologic and intraoperative findings. We highlight the histopathologic features in perforated Meckel’s diverticula due to ingested button batteries. Case report: Three toddlers presented with perforated Meckel’s diverticula after button battery ingestion. Histologic examination of the diverticula showed multiple burn-like mucosal ulcerations and liquefactive wall perforations of the tips, associated with prominent siderotic pigment deposits and calcifications. There were various residual materials with variable staining patterns in the luminal debris, necrotic tissue and adjacent to submucosal blood vessels. Conclusion: There is accelerated deposition of iron and calcium associated with button batteries.

Keywords:

• Button battery
• children
• foreign body ingestion
• heavy metals
• Meckel diverticulum
• mucosal ulceration
• perforation

Declaration of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors did not receive any outside funding or grants in support for preparation of this work.

Data availability statement

Data will be available upon reasonable requests from the authors.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.