Abstract
PURPOSE
The planned therapy of right colonic diverticulitis is very difficult because preoperative diagnosis is uncommon and the method of treatment is usually decided at the time of laparotomy. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of right colonic diverticulitis, the clinical distinctions between preoperatively and postoperatively diagnosed patients, the recurrence rate, and the hospital stay by treatment modality.
METHODS
Among 104 patients who were treated for right colonic diverticulitis from January 1997 to May 2005, we enrolled 90 patients who had been diagnosed by the operation or a barium enema study (BE), and who had not been lost to follow-up. Patients were divided into three groups based on treatment modality: Group 1 (n=28), conservative management with intravenous antibiotics; Group 2 (n=46), aggressive resection; Group 3 (n=16), appendectomy with intravenous antibiotics.
RESULTS
Ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) detected 12 (22.6%) and 21 (87.5%) cases of right colonic diverticulitis, respectively. BE was applied to 45 patients, 28 (62.2%) of them with multiple diverticula. Right colonic diverticulitis was the preoperative diagnosis in 39 patients (43.3%). The length of hospital stay was significantly different between the groups (P<0.001): 4.9+/-3.1 days in Group 1, 7.5+/-3.7 days in Group 2, and 3.8+/-0.9 days in Group 3. Two patients (7.1%) in Group 1, 2 patients (4.3%) in Group 2, and 5 patients (31.3%) in Group 3 had recurrent diverticulitis during the follow-up period (P=0.007). The Kaplan-Meier estimated recurrence rates for Groups 1, 2, and 3 were statistically significantly different (P=0.0086).
CONCLUSIONS
To differentiate right colonic diverticulitis from appendicitis, focusing on the peculiar feature in contrast to appendicitis and appropriate utilization of CT are important. If diagnosed preoperatively, uncomplicated right colonic diverticulitis can be managed by conservative management with intravenous antibiotics. If diagnosed intraoperatively, aggressive resection is advocated as the most effective method for decreasing the recurrence rate.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by

- Right‐sided acute diverticulitis in a North African country: Presentation and management in one surgical center
Laila Jedidi, Aymen Mabrouk, Hela Ghali, Anis Ben Dhaou, Senda Ben Lahouel, Sami Daldoul, Houyem Said Latiri, Mounir Ben Moussa
World Journal of Surgery.2024; 48(6): 1509. CrossRef - Right-sided acute diverticulitis in the West: experience at a university hospital in Argentina
René M. Palacios Huatuco, Diana A. Pantoja Pachajoa, Julian E. Liaño, Héctor A. Picón Molina, Rafael Palencia, Alejandro M. Doniquian, Matías Parodi
Annals of Coloproctology.2023; 39(2): 123. CrossRef - Caecal diverticulitis can be misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis: a systematic review of the literature
Isabelle Uhe, Jeremy Meyer, Manuela Viviano, Surrennaidoo Naiken, Christian Toso, Frédéric Ris, Nicolas C. Buchs
Colorectal Disease.2021; 23(10): 2515. CrossRef - Laparoscopic diverticulectomy versus non-operative treatment for uncomplicated right colonic diverticulitis
Le Huy Luu, Nguyen Lam Vuong, Vo Thi Hong Yen, Do Thi Thu Phuong, Bui Khac Vu, Nguyen Viet Thanh, Nguyen Thien Khanh, Nguyen Van Hai
Surgical Endoscopy.2020; 34(5): 2019. CrossRef - Clinical differentiation of acute appendicitis and right colonic diverticulitis: A case-control study
Yosuke Sasaki, Fumiya Komatsu, Naoyasu Kashima, Takahiro Sato, Ikutaka Takemoto, Sho Kijima, Tadashi Maeda, Takamasa Ishii, Taito Miyazaki, Yoshiko Honda, Nagato Shimada, Yoshihisa Urita
World Journal of Clinical Cases.2019; 7(12): 1393. CrossRef - Right-sided acute diverticulitis: A single Western center experience
Francesco Monari, Maurizio Cervellera, Basilio Pirrera, Umberto D'Errico, Samuele Vaccari, Laura Alberici, Valeria Tonini
International Journal of Surgery.2017; 44: 128. CrossRef - Diagnosis and Management of Right Colonic Diverticular Disease: A Review
Francesco Ferrara, Jesús Bollo, Letizia V. Vanni, Eduardo M. Targarona
Cirugía Española (English Edition).2016; 94(10): 553. CrossRef - Diagnóstico y tratamiento de la enfermedad diverticular del colon derecho: revisión de conjunto
Francesco Ferrara, Jesús Bollo, Letizia V Vanni, Eduardo M Targarona
Cirugía Española.2016; 94(10): 553. CrossRef - Intraoperative diagnosis of solitary cecal diverticulum not requiring surgery: is appendectomy indicated?
Renol M. Koshy, Abdelrahman Abusabeib, Saif Al-Mudares, Mohamed Khairat, Adriana Toro, Isidoro Di Carlo
World Journal of Emergency Surgery.2016;[Epub] CrossRef - Risk factors for recurrence of right colonic uncomplicated diverticulitis after first attack
Hyoung-Chul Park, Byung Seup Kim, Kwanseop Lee, Min Jeong Kim, Bong Hwa Lee
International Journal of Colorectal Disease.2014; 29(10): 1217. CrossRef - Surgical management of colonic diverticular disease: Discrepancy between right- and left-sided diseases
Heung-Kwon Oh
World Journal of Gastroenterology.2014; 20(29): 10115. CrossRef - Is Conservative Treatment with Antibiotics the Correct Strategy for Management of Right Colonic Diverticulitis?: A Prospective Study
Tae Jung Kim, In Kyu Lee, Jong Kyung Park, Yoon Suk Lee, Youn Si, Hun Jung, Hyung Jin Kim, Sang Chul Lee, Dae Young Cheung, Lee D. Gorden, Seung Taek Oh
Journal of the Korean Society of Coloproctology.2011; 27(4): 188. CrossRef - Management of Right Colon Diverticulitis
Jong Ik Jang, Yang Soo Lim, Jong Woo Choi, Yoon Sik Lee
Journal of the Korean Society of Coloproctology.2010; 26(1): 22. CrossRef - Treatment of Right Colonic Diverticulitis: The Role of Nonoperative Treatment
Ma Ru Kim, Bong-Hyeon Kye, Hyung Jin Kim, Hyeon-Min Cho, Seong Taek Oh, Jun-Gi Kim
Journal of the Korean Society of Coloproctology.2010; 26(6): 402. CrossRef - Right Colonic Diverticulitis
In Kyu Lee
Journal of the Korean Society of Coloproctology.2010; 26(4): 241. CrossRef - A Case of Ascending Colon Diverticulitis with Perforation in a Child
Joon Woo Baek, Jae Young Shin, Jee Hyun Lee, So Young Jung, Ah Young Jung, Jeong Won Kim, Kon Hee Lee
Korean Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.2010; 13(2): 193. CrossRef - Laparoscopic and Open Surgery for Right Colonic Diverticulitis
In Kyu Lee, Yoon Suk Lee, Sung Jip Kim, D. Lee Gorden, Dae Youn Won, Hyeung Jin Kim, Hyeun Min Cho, Hae Myung Jeon, Jun-Gi Kim, Seong Taek Oh
The American Surgeon™.2010; 76(5): 486. CrossRef