Diverticulitis of the right colon

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Gastroenterology

Background:

• Diverticulitis typically affects the left colon, making right-sided presentation less common and diagnostically challenging.
• Understanding the clinical features and outcomes of right-sided diverticulitis is crucial for appropriate patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the authors' experience with right-sided diverticulitis.
• To identify characteristic clinical presentations, diagnostic challenges, and effective surgical strategies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 18 patients diagnosed with right-sided diverticulitis.
• Analysis of clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, diagnostic imaging, operative procedures, and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• Common symptoms included right lower quadrant abdominal pain; nausea and vomiting were infrequent.
• Abnormal white blood cell counts were noted in 67% of patients; barium enema was not diagnostically helpful.
• Right hemicolectomy was the primary surgical procedure, with no reported mortality and an average hospital stay of 14.2 days.

Conclusions:

• Right-sided diverticulitis lacks a characteristic clinical presentation, making preoperative diagnosis difficult.
• Diagnostic maneuvers are often unrewarding.
• Right hemicolectomy is a safe and efficient surgical approach; open cecotomy is not recommended for diagnosis.