CT of diverticulitis. Diagnosis and treatment.

Diverticulitis can be detected accurately by computed tomography (CT) and staged according to an established system that is meaningful to both radiologists and surgeons. Diverticulitis limited to the wall of the sigmoid colon or small diverticular abscesses contained within the pericolic mesentery generally respond well to antibiotic therapy; larger abscesses must be drained. CT-guided catheter drainage is an effective method to treat these large diverticular abscesses. Overall management is simplified since one-stage sigmoid resection can be performed electively on a nonseptic patient. High-risk patients may be spared surgery entirely in selected cases.