Diverticulitis is inflammation or infection of small pouches in the bowel wall, usually in the colon.
Symptoms often include constant lower abdominal pain, fever, tenderness, constipation or diarrhea, bloating, and sometimes blood or mucus in the stool.
Imaging helps when the diagnosis is unclear, when symptoms are more severe, or when doctors need to look for complications such as abscess, perforation, or bowel obstruction.
CT helps confirm the diagnosis and look for complications such as perforation, abscess, or bowel obstruction.
Management may include antibiotics, diet changes, drainage of complications, or surgery in more severe or recurrent cases.
This entry explains the condition. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.