Final answer:
The 2-year-old patient with a painless GI bleed and technetium scan indicating ectopic gastric mucosa has a likely diagnosis of Meckel's diverticulum, a condition where a pouch from the small intestine causes complications such as ulcers and bleeding.
Step-by-step explanation:
The diagnosis for a 2-year-old patient with painless gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, with a technetium scan revealing gastric mucosa 2 feet from the ileocecal valve, likely measures 2 inches in length, is suggestive of a Meckel's diverticulum. Meckel's diverticulum is an abnormal pouch or sac opening from the small intestine, present from birth. It can contain ectopic tissue, including gastric mucosa, which can lead to ulcers and subsequent bleeding within the diverticulum, thus explaining the technetium scan results and the symptom of a painless GI bleed.
This symptom, the scan finding, and other factors such as the child's age, suggest that the GI bleeding is the result of a complication from this congenital condition, rather than other potential causes of GI bleeding in children such as intussusception, inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis, or infections. If a child presents with symptoms like chronic watery diarrhea, a blood test might reveal anemia or electrolyte imbalances due to prolonged fluid loss. Consequently, in a patient like the one described, proper diagnosis and treatment often involve surgical intervention to remove the diverticulum to prevent further complications.