Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is inflammation or infection of small pouches in the bowel wall, usually in the colon.
When to get help quickly: Urgent review is important if pain is severe, fever is high, vomiting continues, the abdomen becomes rigid, or the person is becoming more unwell.
Common symptoms
Symptoms often include constant lower abdominal pain, fever, tenderness, constipation or diarrhea, bloating, and sometimes blood or mucus in the stool.
When imaging helps
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.
What radiology does
CT helps confirm the diagnosis and look for complications such as perforation, abscess, or bowel obstruction.
What usually happens next
Management may include antibiotics, diet changes, drainage of complications, or surgery in more severe or recurrent cases.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.