"Ultrasound Pictures of Diverticulitis"

Clinical manifestations Diverticulitis: Usually the pain is maximal in the left lower quadrant (“left-sided appendicitis”). Gastrointestinal bleeding may occur, and blood is often present in the stool. Fever, palpable mass in the lower abdomen.

Diagnosis Diverticulitis: history, laboratory tests, sonography, coloscopy or sigmoidoscopy (may cause a perforation in the acute phase).

Sonographic findings Diverticulitis:
x Thickened, hypoechoic bowel walls.
x It is common to find a small air collection (trapped in the diverticulum) that does
not move with peristalsis and casts a constant, incomplete acoustic shadow.

ULTRASOUND PICTURES Diverticulitis: swelling of the bowel wall (BW), air in the diverticulum (arrow) with an associated acoustic shadow (S)

Accuracy of sonographic diagnosis Diverticulitis: Selective intestinal scanning with a highresolution probe can demonstrate typical bowel wall changes in up to 90% of patients. These changes, combined with the clinical presentation, can establish the diagnosis.

“ULTRASOUND PICTURES of Diverticulitis”