The management of terminal ileum diverticulitis

Terminal ileum diverticulitis is a very rare disease that may lead to an acute abdomen mimicking appendicitis. Because of its rarity, an optimal treatment for this disease has not been established yet. In this study, we evaluated the clinical features and outcomes of nonoperative management of terminal ileum diverticulitis, including suspected perforation. From 2000 to 2007, 346 patients were treated for acute symptomatic right-sided diverticulitis. Radiographic evaluation revealed that nine patients (2.6%) had terminal ileum diverticulitis. All patients presented with pain in the right lower quadrant. The clinical features and outcomes, including recurrence, were evaluated from a collected database and by phone interview. The average age of the patients was 43.7 years. Radiographic imaging was used to diagnose diverticulitis in all patients. Two of nine patients had suspected perforated diverticulitis, and three patients had multiple diverticula. Nonoperative management was successfully carried out on these patients. The average hospital stay was 8 days and the duration of antibiotic treatment was 6.4 days. The median follow-up was 36 months, and patients showed no recurrence within this interval. Nonoperative management may be feasible to treat terminal ileum diverticulitis.