[CT of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis and its differential diagnoses]

This review shows the diagnostic potential of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis.

Using a single detector spiral CT, standard examination of the entire abdomen is performed after oral and rectal administration of diluted iodinated contrast medium with collimation of 8 mm, pitch of 1.5, and reconstruction increment of 8 mm before and after intravenous contrast injection. Intravenous administration of spasmolytic agents, various patient positions, and the thin-section technique with 3-5 mm slices are beneficial in difficult cases.

The differential diagnosis of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis includes tumorous, inflammatory, and ischemic diseases of the colon as well as infarctions of epiploic appendages and the omentum majus. The knowledge of the various CT criteria of acute colonic diverticulitis and their differential diagnoses helps to establish a correct diagnosis in a wide majority of cases.

At present, CT is the diagnostic procedure of choice for assessing acute diverticulitis. Distinct knowledge of the CT features helps to differentiate the various entities accurately.