[Complications of colonic diverticulitis [apropos of 22 cases)]

After establishing the nosologic frame of the notions of diverticulosis, diverticulitis and the complications of the latter the authors make an analysis of 22 cases with complications of colic diverticulitis, and stress the frequency of this complication in the aged. Ten of the complication consisted in haemorrhagia, 8 were perforations and 4 were obstructive. The authors establish the attitude which should be adopted when confronted with confirmed diverticulitis, and make an analysis of each type of complication from the viewpoint of the diagnosis and of the therapeutic attitude. In haemorrhagic complications surgical intervention is rarely necessary (one out of the 10 cases recorded), surgery is however mandatory in the obstructive and perforating complications. The authors prefer the Hartmann type of intervention considering the risks of anastomosis in conditions which are generally doubtful at the best, due to advanced age of patients and associated deficiencies. Beside the analysis this paper also updates the major elements of the problem, as shown by the references.