Difference in Clinical Features between Appendicitis and Right-Sided Colonic Diverticulitis on Initial Diagnosis

PURPOSE: Most patients who are finally diagnosed as having cecal and right-sided colonic diverticulitis complain of pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen, many of them unfortunately undergo an emergency operation for presumed appendicitis. Our purpose was to differentiate the diagnosis of right-sided colonic diverticulitis from appendicitis in an emergency setting. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 450 patients between January 1997 and July 2003. Among them, 92 patients who had been diagnosed as having right-sided colonic diverticulitis were classified as Group I. In the remaining 358 patients with appendicitis, 268 patients with simple appendicitis were classified as Group II and 90 patients with perforated appendicitis were classified as Group III. RESULTS: The sex ratios were similar among 3 groups. The mean age of Group I (36.5+/-10.1 years) was significantly different from that of Group II (30.7+/-14.8 years, P=0.002), but not from that of Group III (38.7+/-20.9). Incidences of fever/chill and nausea/vomiting were less common in Group I (P<0.05). The duration of prodromal symptoms in Group I (2.6 days) was longer than that of Group II (1.6 days, P=0.02), but was not significantly different from that of Group III (3.3 days, P=0.83). The mean WBC count was significantly smaller in Group I (10913.8/mm3) than in Group II (13238.3/mm3) and III (15589.3/mm3, P<0.001). The percentage of segment form in differential counts was smaller in Group I (73.6%) than in Group II (79.1%) and III (81.8%, P<0.001). The percentage of lymphocytes in differential counts was larger in Group I (17.7%) than in Group II (13.9%) and Group III (9.4%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among the patients who complain of pain in the right lower quadrant abdomen in an emergency setting, cecum and right-sided colonic diverticulitis must be considered in the following conditions to avoid unnecessary emergency operations, relatively younger patients (20~40 years), infrequent prodromal symptoms, absent rebound tenderness with a laterally deviated maximal tenderness point, and absent or mild leucocytosis with a relatively low fraction of segment forms associated with a higher fraction of lymphocytes in CBC.

The Usefulness of Colonoscopy in the Management of Right Side Colonic Diverticulitis

PURPOSE: Most patients who finally diagnosed as the cecal and ascending colonic diverticulitis would complain pain on right low quadrant of abdomen. So many of them unfortunately would be performed emergency operation for presumed appendicitis. We are purposed to verify the usefulness of colonoscopy for the diagnosis and aimed to treat many patients with this disease conservatively. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of the 46 patients who diagnosed as the cecal and ascending colonic diverticulitis under admission at general surgery department during 4 years from January, 1997 to December, 2000. RESULTS: The mean age was 40.1 years and the male to female ratio was 1.2:1. Most common clinical manifestation was abdominal pain (46 cases) and nausea/vomiting (13 cases), fever/chill (4 cases) followed. On physical examination on abdomen, 26 patients had tenderness with rebound tenderness on right low quadrant and 18 patients showed only tenderness on right low quadrant. The mean peripheral WBC count was 10,600.9/mm2. Diagnostic tools were abdominal ultrasonography (34 cases), abdominal CT (13 cases), barium enema (8 cases) and colonoscopy (22 cases). The sensitivities of each modalities were 52.6%, 46.2%, 33.3% and 81.8% respectively. The respective mean hospital days depending on the treatment arms were as follows: 6.0 days of the conservatively treated group, 8.0 days of whom were operated as exploratory laparotomy with incidental appendectomy and 16.9 days of whom were operated as Right-hemicolectomy. 17 patients of 24 colonoscopy-done patients were recovered with conservative treatment, compared with only 7 patients of 22 colonoscopy-undone patients (P=0.0005). 2 cases of the conservatively managed groups were operated later due to recurrences (mean follow up periods=20 months). 2 operated patients had complications of postoperative ileus. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our study, the indications of colonoscopy are that in whom impressed clinically as acute appendicitis, on physical examination there be obvious tenderness on right low quadrant but obscure rebound tenderness, on peripheral blood smear the WBC counts range from normal to mild increased (<15,000/mm2), and on ultrasonography, appendix couldn't be detected or colonic wall show thickening. In patients who selected fit for indications, colonoscopy is safe and highly sensitive. We would manage these patients more conservatively, and may reduce their hospital stay.