CT findings in duodenal diverticulitis.
OBJECTIVE
Duodenal diverticulitis is a rare complication of duodenal diverticulosis. It is often clinically misdiagnosed because it has no pathognomonic signs or symptoms and its CT findings may mimic other intraabdominal processes. We describe two patients with duodenal diverticulitis who presented with abdominal pain, nausea, and leukocytosis. At the time of initial presentation, only one of the two patients was diagnosed correctly. In the first case, which was initially misdiagnosed as acute pancreatitis, the correct diagnosis was evident only after the disease process had become more quiescent and a follow-up CT scan using orally and i.v.-administered contrast agents was performed. In the second case, the coronal reformatted images confirmed the diagnosis suggested by the axial images.


CONCLUSIONS
Duodenal diverticulitis can be a difficult CT diagnosis to make; however, maintaining it in the differential diagnosis of duodenal and pancreatic inflammatory processes and masses as well as defining the anatomy with nonaxial imaging including coronal images may be helpful in confirming the diagnosis.
Pearl
Monica S
MS
Department of Radiology, George Washington University Medical Center, 900 23rd St., NW, 1st Floor Radiology, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
Hill
Michael C
MC
Zeman
Robert K
RK
D004238:Diverticulitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004378:Duodenal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed