Clinical features
Chronic diverticulitis exactly mimics the local clinical features of carcinoma of the colon:
- there may be diarrhoea alternating with constipation which progresses to large bowel obstruction with vomiting, distension, colicky abdominal pain and constipation - note that small bowel obstruction from adhesion of a loop of small intestine to the inflammatory mass is not uncommon.
- there may be episodes of pain in the left iliac fossa, and more rarely pain elsewhere in the abdomen
- passage of mucus, profuse bright red blood per rectum or melaena
- anaemia due to chronic occult bleeding
Examination reveals tenderness in the left iliac and there is often a thickened mass in the region of the sigmoid colon that may also be felt on rectal examination.
Reference
- Diverticular disease: diagnosis and management. NICE Guidance NG147 (November 2019)
Related pages
Create an account to add page annotations
Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page