[Surgical therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases. Rational diagnosis--endoscopy, contrast media administration, CT?...

Some 10 to 25 percent of all patients with diverticulosis will come down with diverticulitis in the course of their lives. Apart from physical examinations, sonography and--if results are still unclear--computer tomography are seen as the most important diagnostic devices. 75 percent of patients with acute diverticulitis can initially be treated conservatively, and only one in four ever falls ill again with another inflammation. According to those numbers a conservative method is justified when dealt with a primary uncomplicated diverticulitis. If a second attack occurs, should an elective resection be considered. An increased mortality and morbidity exists among young and immunocompromised patients so that elective surgery is recommended already after the first incident.