Chronic diverticulitis: clinical, radiographic, and pathologic findings.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study is to present a series of 14 patients with chronic diverticulitis on barium enema examinations and to correlate the radiographic findings with the clinical and pathologic findings in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic diverticulitis is a distinct pathologic entity characterized by the frequent development of chronic obstructive symptoms and abdominal pain rather than the classic clinical findings of acute sigmoid diverticulitis. Barium enema examinations usually reveal a relatively long segment of circumferential narrowing in the sigmoid colon with a spiculated contour and tapered margins, sometimes associated with retrograde obstruction. Our experience suggests that chronic diverticulitis can often be diagnosed on the basis of the characteristic clinical and radiographic findings in these patients.
Sheiman
Laura
L
Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Levine
Marc S
MS
Levin
Alicia A
AA
Hogan
Jonathan
J
Rubesin
Stephen E
SE
Furth
Emma E
EE
Laufer
Igor
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003287:Contrast Media; D003973:Diatrizoate; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D004238:Diverticulitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004733:Enema; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007472:Iohexol; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media; D003973:Diatrizoate; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D007472:Iohexol