Diverticulitis and diverticulosis

Extract

• Diverticulosis describes the presence of pouches (diverticula) in the intestine. These are quite common and become significantly more so with age.
• Most diverticula occur in the large intestine, particularly in the sigmoid colon, on which this article concentrates.
• The most common complication of diverticulosis is diverticulitis, where a diverticulum becomes inflamed and may burst.
• Diverticulitis is divided into uncomplicated and complicated types.
  • Uncomplicated diverticulitis is inflammation in an area of the intestine with diverticula, where the intestinal wall is intact and there are no signs of complications (such as an abscess or air outside the intestine).
  • In complicated diverticulitis, the intestinal wall is perforated. If the resulting faecal contamination is localized, an abscess forms. If faecal contamination spreads more widely, peritonitis develops.
• Diverticulitis varies in severity from uncomplicated disease healing spontaneously (> 90%) to life-threatening peritonitis.
• Computerized tomography (CT) is recommended to diagnose the first episode of diverticulitis. Subsequently recurring mild disease with typical symptoms can be treated in primary health care based on the clinical picture.
• See also Acute abdomen in the adult1.

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