title: Small bowel diverticulitis as a cause of acute abdomen.
abstract: Small bowel diverticulitis is rare and there are no known guidelines for treatment. We present three cases, in which a laparotomy was performed twice and one in which conservative treatment was applied. Clinical presentations were of acute abdomen, one of which initially thought to be a ruptured aneurysm. Computed tomography scanning was the imaging modality used to make an accurate diagnosis in one case. Treatment was either by means of surgery or conservative treatment with antibiotics, bowel rest and parenteral alimentation. The possibility of conservative treatment, in the absence of perforation, is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Surgery Department, Diaconessenhuis Leiden, 2334 CK Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mischa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veen
authors.forename: Bonne J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hornstra
authors.forename: Cees H M
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Clemens
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stigter
authors.forename: Robbert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vree
mesh_terms: D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000209:etiology*; D000368:Aged; D004238:Diverticulitis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D007579:Jejunal Diseases / Q000150:complications*