Diverticulitis - Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Acute diverticulitis can frequently be diagnosed by a typical history and a physical exam showing impressive tenderness over the sigmoid colon which is located in the left lower part of the abdomen. If fever and a high white blood cell count are present this is confirmatory. A barium enema or a lower GI X-Ray are not useful helpful because the ruptured diverticulum is not seen on the X-Ray. A CAT scan or ultrasound of the lower abdomen can be very helpful in showing an inflammatory mass over the sigmoid colon.
Diverticular bleeding can be a bit more difficult to diagnose and is frequently a "diagnosis of exclusion" which refers to the fact that no other cause for the bleeding can be found except the diverticulae. It is correctly assumed they were the culprit. Fortunately this is not common. Less than 5% of people with diverticular disease of the colon will bleed. Rarely a bleeding or ulcerated diverticulum can be seen at the time of colonoscopy. Specialized X-Ray procedures using isotopes tagged to a patient's own red blood cells, or an X-Ray procedure (Angiogram) where a catheter and contrast material are injected into the arteries supplying the bleeding diverticulum are seen to leak contrast material from the bleeding diverticulum are utilized.
____________________________________