ABC Medical Center > Diverticulitis

What is Diverticulitis?

21:54 - 4 May , 2021

Disease

It is a digestive system condition in which diverticula, which are bulges that develop from the age of 40 onwards in the lining of the intestine, usually in the colon wall, become inflamed and infected.

Most diverticula are caused by increased internal pressure in the colon, causing the mucosal and submucosal layers to herniate through weaker areas of the wall.

There are several factors that influence the formation of diverticula, including: 

  • Diet rich in fat and low in fiber.
  • Being 40 years old or older.
  • Sedentary lifestyle.
  • Intake of some drugs.
  • Overweight and obesity.
  • Smoking.

Signs and symptoms Diverticulitis

The characteristic symptoms consist of:

  • Tiredness.
  • Abdominal distension.
  • Intense and constant abdominal pain for several days, mainly in the lower-left part that radiates to the back.
  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Fever.
  • Nausea.
  • Hypersensitive abdomen.
  • Vomit.

Potential risks:

If diverticula are not treated in time, they can cause the following complications:

  • Diverticular abscess formation.
  • Intestinal obstruction.
  • Intestinal perforation.
  • Peritonitis.
  • Bleeding.

Diagnosis and treatment Diverticulitis

Your doctor, in addition to analyzing your symptoms and clinical history, will perform a physical examination and request various tests to determine if it is diverticulitis or some other disease, including:

  • Blood and urine tests.
  • Endoscopy.
  • Colonoscopy.
  • Ultrasound.
  • Stool culture.
  • Computed tomography.

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the treatment will depend on the degree of evolution of the disease. If diverticulitis is mild, it can be treated with antibiotics, nutritional changes, and rest. The goal is to relieve symptoms and prevent further complications. When diverticulitis is severe or recurrent, surgery may be required, which may be:

  • Primary Bowel Resection:
    Damaged parts of the intestine are cut out and then reconnected. Depending on the amount of tissue injured, it can be open or laparoscopic surgery.
  • Bowel resection with colostomy:
    If the inflammation is so severe that it makes it impossible to reconnect the colon to the rectum, a colostomy will be performed, that is, a hole is made in the abdomen to connect to the colon so that the stool goes directly into an external bag. When the inflammation subsides, intestine reconnection is possible.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Fuentes:

  • cun.es
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • msdmanuals.com
  • radiologyinfo.org
  • medigraphic.com
  • Carranza ZAJ, Villalobos VE, Mora SV. Abordaje de la diverticulitis aguda. Revista Médica Sinergia. 2020;5(04):1-10.
  • Decanini TCÓ, Ruiz FBM, Vega JM, et al. Abordaje laparoscópico-asistido transumbilical (TULA) en diverticulitis de Meckel: reporte de caso y revisión de literatura. Rev Mex Cir Endoscop. 2019;20(1):19-22.
  • Díaz-Rosales JD, R SC, Velázquez-Meraz I. Right side diverticulitis, differential diagnosis of complicated appendicitis. Clinical case. Cir Gen. 2019;41(3):226-229.
  • García-Rossi C, Rodríguez BD. Diverticulitis: revisión de la literatura en cuanto al manejo actual. Rev Clin Esc Med. 2019;9(2):41-48.

How can we help you?

    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.