Can sonography diagnose acute colonic diverticulitis in patients with acute intestinal inflammation? A prospective study.

In a prospective study of 123 patients with clinical signs of acute intestinal inflammation, the sensitivity of ultrasonography in diagnosing acute colonic diverticulitis was 84.6% and the specificity 80.3%. The predictive value of a positive and a negative sonogram was 76.0% and 87.7%, respectively. Of the 52 patients with subsequently proven acute colonic diverticulitis, 44 presented sonographically with a thickened (greater than 4 mm) hypoechoic bowel wall. In 15 patients, enlarged fluid-filled bowel loops were also present. Air-containing diverticula were demonstrated in 3 patients, abscesses in 8 patients, and colovesical fistulae in 2 patients. Eight large abscesses were successfully treated without emergency surgery by percutaneous sonographically guided evacuation. The described sonographic abnormalities strongly suggest acute colonic diverticulitis, particularly when localized in the left lower abdomen.