Acute diverticulitis of the transverse colon with perforation: report of three cases and review of the literature.

Three cases of perforated diverticulitis of the transverse colon are added to 19 case reports in the English literature. This unusual disease entity is usually confused with acute appendicitis prior to operation and with carcinoma of the colon during the procedure. The cause of these diverticula is unclear, and their clinical presentation resembles that of right-sided diverticula. Segmental resection of the transverse colon together with end-to-end anastomosis is the treatment of choice, except in the occasional instance of a large intra-abdominal abscess, when anastomosis may be deferred.