[Sonography in the diagnosis of acute colonic diverticulitis]

Acute colonic diverticulitis is mainly diagnosed clinically, as endoscopy or coloncontrast enema might be dangerous. In this study diagnostic criteria and typical sonographic findings of acute diverticulitis are summarized. The comparison of these findings - in stadium IIa of diverticulitis - to other sonographic colon findings shows high sensitivity (0.96), specificity (0.98) and predictive values (pV +0.85, pV -0.99) for sonographic findings of acute colonic diverticulitis. Thus sonography can improve diagnostic and follow-up controls of acute diverticulitis.