Diverticulitis is inflammation of a diverticulum (an outpouching), usually of the large colon .

Incidence

10-25% patients with colonic diverticula develop disease. Recurrence is over 50% and increases with age. There is an association between constipation and developing diverticulae, presumably because constipation causes a raised intracolonic pressure.

Causes

Mechanical blockage of diverticula, usually by a piece of feces leads to infection of the diverticulum.

Presentation

It usually presents as abdominal pain associated with diarrhea. Sometimes, there is a history of bloody diarrhea.

Diagnosis

Diverticulitis is mostly diagnosed from the history and physical exam. Diverticulitis should be suspected in more elderly patients with a history of chronic constipation. The diagnosis is confirmed with radiologic imaging or colonoscopy.

Lab findings

• leukocytosis

Treatment

Treatment will range from conservative management with medications to surgical resection of the affected bowel, depending on the severity of the disease. Sometimes a treatment called CT-Guided Abscess Drainage is performed in stead of surgical resection to remove collected fluids outside of the bowel in the stomach cavity.

Complications

• bleeding
• strictures