The Use of Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Jejunal Diverticulosis Complicated by Diverticulitis and Intestinal Bleeding

Abstract

The jejunal diverticulosis is rare and accounts for approximately 0.5–1 % of the general population. Diagnosis of the pathology is difficult even in the presence of symptomatic complications (perforation, abscess, peritonitis, sepsis, intestinal obstruction and bleeding), therefore, it is often overlooked or delayed, which requires high awareness and vigilance of physicians. Emergency surgical interventions are performed due to the lack of clear clinical symptoms and reliable radiological data in an average of 25 % of patients with complications of diverticulosis. In the presented case, multislice computed tomography (MSCT) with intravenous contrasting revealed multiple diverticula of the jejunum with reactively altered walls, infiltration of the adjacent cellular tissue and small gas inclusions, indicating diverticulum microperforation. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) was performed which confirmed the jejunum bleeding, and was followed by laparotomy which confirmed multiple jejunal diverticula with microperforation and bleeding. Thus, timely MSCT in combination with EGD allowed to avoid complications of jejunal diverticulitis.

Keywords

• diverticulitis
• jejunum
• intestinal bleeding
• multislice computed tomography
• esophagogastroduodenoscopy