CT in acute perforated sigmoid diverticulitis

Background: To assess the value of computed tomography (CT) in patients with acute perforated sigmoid diverticulitis in correlation with the Hinchey classification of perforated diverticular disease. Methods: Thirty patients with acute perforated sigmoid diverticulitis underwent computed tomography prior to surgery. Computed tomography scans were compared with the surgical and histopathological reports, utilizing the Hinchey classification. Results: In 28 of the 30 (93%) patients examined, the Hinchey stage was correctly determined by means of computed tomography. One patient with Hinchey stage IV was falsely classified as Hinchey stage III, and one patient with Hinchey stage III as Hinchey stage II. Computed tomography revealed 12 out of 14 (86%) patients with perforation sites and 3 out of 3 (100%) patients with contained perforation. In one of 17 (6%) patients with surgically or histopathologically proven perforation or contained perforation, a bowel wall discontinuity was revealed by computed tomography. In 6 of the 17 (35%) patients with surgical or histopathological perforation or contained perforation, extraluminal contrast material was detected by computed tomography. Conclusions: Computed tomography is a valuable imaging tool for determining the degree of acute perforated sigmoid diverticulitis, by means of which patients can be stratified according to the severity of the disease; furthermore, this tool is of assistance in surgical planning. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.