Cecal diverticulum in a female patient evolving to diverticulitis with conservative treatment: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Diverticula are commonly considered an acquired malformation that arises from a chronic increase in intraluminal pressure. This makes a diverticulum of congenital etiology, which can present with relatively younger complications in life, very rare, where men are more commonly affected. CD may appear as an incidental finding during surgery or as a complicated clinical presentation, such as diverticulitis. Operative treatment varies widely in the literature.  Procedures range from simple isolated diverticulectomy and ileocecal resection to right hemicolectomy. However, there is still conservative treatment, with the use of antibiotics. Discussion: The incidence of CD in patients diagnosed with diverticulum is between 0.9 and 5% in Western countries. CD can be confused with acute appendicitis due to the similarities in clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings. A solitary cecal diverticulum is considered congenital in etiology and a true diverticulum. In our patient, her diverticulum was congenital, since it was single and solitary, and was considered rarer. In DCs detected before surgery or by diagnostic laparoscopy, nonsurgical treatment is increasingly being used. However, diagnosis before surgery is very difficult. Conclusion: CD, although rare in the Western population, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients complaining of pain in the right iliac fossa. Ultrasound or CT scan can reveal the correct diagnosis and have the benefit of avoiding intraoperative findings. The approach can include conservative treatment, diverticulectomy or right hemicolectomy.