About this disease
What it is about
So-called diverticula are small outpouchings of the intestinal mucosa and usually harmless, which can be found in about one third of all 60-year-olds. In medicine, we speak of diverticulosis. Only when the diverticula become inflamed do we speak of diverticular disease. This occurs in about two out of ten people affected. It is not yet clear why which diverticula become inflamed and when. It is assumed that nutrition and genetic predisposition play a role.
Types
A distinction is made between acute and chronic forms of diverticular disease. A special form is diverticular hemorrhage, which is the most common cause of bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract. The disease often progresses in episodes and can be highly variable. For example, some patients require emergency surgery at the first episode, while others report recurrent symptoms such as constipation, bloating, and lower abdominal pain for years. However, most sufferers remain symptom-free.
Symptoms and consequences
The main symptom is uniform and dull abdominal pain, which usually occurs in the left lower abdomen, but can also occur in the entire left abdominal region. These often improve after bowel movements or after the discharge of intestinal gases. Other warning signs include hardening in the abdomen that hurts when touched or pressed, and unpleasant, possibly painful, urges to defecate. Nonspecific symptoms include constipation, flatulence, diarrhea, and pus, mucus, or blood in the stool. Nausea and vomiting as well as fever and fatigue also occur.
What we do for you
Examination and diagnosis
If diverticulitis is suspected, it is important to first obtain a detailed picture of the medical history. What are the symptoms? Are the symptoms occurring for the first time and have diverticula already been diagnosed? This is followed by a physical examination and a blood analysis. Further examinations such as ultrasound, computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging provide information about the size and location of the diverticula and about which therapeutic measures need to be initiated.
Treatment
The type of therapy depends on how severe the inflammation is and which parts of the intestine and surrounding area are affected. While no therapy is usually necessary in very early stages, those affected with severe pain and fever should be admitted to hospital and treated there. The spectrum of treatment ranges from intravenous administration of antibiotics to radiographically inserted drainage of an abscess to surgical removal of the affected section of the intestine.