Solitary diverticulum of the caecum and its complications

Solitary diverticulum of the caecum is very rare and assumes clinical interest only when inflamed. Preoperatively the condition is virtually impossible to distinguish from acute appendicitis, and even during operation its differentiation from carcinoma is difficult. It is also important to determine whether or not an underlying solitary diverticulum of the caecum is present. In the present series the symptoms and clinical examination as well as laboratory findings pointed to acute appendicitis, which was in fact the preoperative diagnosis in all our patients. In one case the operative findings were strongly suggestive of carcinoma, which was only excluded by inspection and histological examination of the specimen. The wall of the diverticulum was necrotic in all cases. It had already perforated in the previously mentioned case, and right hemicolectomy was performed. An inflamed, but recognizable, solitary diverticulum of the caecum was treated by excision, but the tumour-like mass produced by the diverticulum was removed by resection. In view of the considerable possibility of underlying carcinoma, the authors support an aggressive trend in the treatment of "inflammatory tumours" of the caecal wall.