The Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is one of the most common diseases in visceral medicine. Its prevalence increases with age, and it is characterized by a chronic recurrent course. Acute left lower abdominal pain, fever, and leukocytosis in patients >50 years of age make acute diverticulitis likely. A further diagnostic workup including ultrasound and/or computed tomography enables the correct diagnosis to be established. Uncomplicated diverticulitis can usually be treated on an outpatient basis; patients with complicated diverticulitis should be treated with antibiotics as inpatients. In the case of a macroabscess, percutaneous drainage is also generally required. Patients with free perforation and peritonitis require emergency surgery. If the patient is stable and not immunosuppressed, sigmoid resection with primary anastomosis is possible. Patients with chronic recurrent diverticulitis benefit long-term from elective sigmoid resection in terms of quality of life.