The management of acute colonic diverticulitis with suppurative peritonitis

With improvement in the medical management of diverticular disease, perforation has become the most common indication for surgical intervention. It is a source of considerable morbidity and mortality and consequently has provoked a considerable and controversial challenge for surgeons. We are proposing that all patients found to have purulent peritonitis secondary to perforating diverticulitis at laparatomy, should be managed initially by a defunctioning transverse colostomy, drainage and the administration of appropriate antibiotics. Subsequent management should consist of simple closure of the colostomy following a check barium enema and the commencement of a high fibre diet. We substantiate this by reporting 20 cases from Dudley Road Hospital and 20 others mentioned in the current literature.