Appendicitis/diverticulitis: diagnostics and conservative treatment

Appendicitis and diverticulitis are very common entities that show some similarities in diagnosis and course of disease. Both are widely believed to be simple clinical diagnoses, which is in contrast to scientific evidence. An accurate diagnosis has to describe not only the initial detection, but particularly the severity of the disease. It is based mainly on cross-sectional imaging by ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT). Appendectomy is the standard treatment for acute appendicitis and is mandatory in complicated cases. Antibiotic therapy is similarly effective in uncomplicated appendicitis, but long-term results are not sufficiently known. Treatment of diverticulitis is related to the disease status. Complications such as perforation and bleeding require intervention. Uncomplicated diverticulitis as graded by US or CT are subject to conservative management, in the form of outpatient or hospital care. It is an unresolved debate as to whether antibiotic treatment offers benefits. Mesalazine seems at least to improve pain. The real challenge is treatment of recurrent diverticulitis. Lifestyle measures such as nutritional habits and physical activity are found to influence diverticular disease. Besides immunosuppression, obesity is a significant risk factor for complicated diverticulitis. Whether any medication such as chronic antibiotics, probiotics or mesalazine offers benefits is unclear. The indication for sigmoid resection has changed; it is no longer given by the number of attacks, but rather by structural changes as depicted by cross-sectional imaging.