Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis occurs in people with diverticulosis. It often affects the sigmoid colon, which is the last part of the large intestine just before the rectum. Diverticulitis is more common in people aged 40 years. It can be severe in people of any age, even though it is more serious in adults, especially those taking corticosteroids or other medications that suppress the immune system, increasing the risk of infection.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Diverticulitis typically causes pain, tenderness (usually in the lower left abdomen), and fever. Unlike diverticulosis, diverticulitis generally does not cause gastrointestinal bleeding.

If a doctor knows that the person has diverticulosis, a diagnosis of diverticulitis may be based almost exclusively on the symptoms. However, many other conditions involving organs of the large intestine and the stomach and pelvis can cause symptoms similar to diverticulitis, including appendicitis, colon or Ovarian Cancer, a pocket of pus from the infection (swell) and non-cancerous growths in the lining of the uterus (uterine fibroids).

A computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound may be useful to determine that the problem is diverticulitis and not appendicitis or a boil.

When the tumor is removed or infection is treated, a physician may perform a colonoscopy (examination of the colon using a flexible tube display) or a barium enema X-ray study (see the symptoms and diagnosis of digestive disorders: X-ray study). The tests were performed to confirm the existence or assess the severity of the diverticula and to rule out colon cancer. Colonoscopy or barium enema X-rays generally have to be delayed several weeks after treatment, as they may damage or rupture an inflamed intestine. Primary surgery is rarely necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

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Diverticulitis

Complications: The inflammation of the intestinal wall can lead to the development of fistulas (abnormal channels) that connect the large intestine to other organs. Fistulas usually form when a diverticulum's of the ...