title: [Computed tomography of colonic diverticulitis].
abstract: 33 patients with clinically suspected diverticulitis of the colon were studied prospectively by CT. The predictive value of symptoms, such as thickening of the colonic wall (86.6%), inflammatory changes of the pericolic fatty tissue (87.5%), the presence of diverticula (73.3%) and abscess formation (100%), were examined separately and their significance was evaluated. Our study was performed mainly on clinically less severe cases of diverticulitis. True positive results by CT were reached in 20/21 cases (sensitivity = 95.2%), true negative findings in 9/12 (specificity = 75.0%). The results of CT examinations were compared with those of contrast enemas (n = 24) and/or endoscopy (n = 6). The number of cases was too low to achieve statistic significance; the relatively high percentage of questionably positive results shows the difficulties inherent in these methods. Our study shows that CT is a good means to demonstrate even less severe forms of colonic diverticulitis with sufficient reliability.
authors.affiliation: Zentralröntgeninstitut der Landeskrankenanstalten Salzburg.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Doringer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001466:Barium Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003287:Contrast Media; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004733:Enema; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine
vernacular_title: Computertomographie der Kolondivertikulitis.