DIVERTICULUM

plural Diverticula, in physiology, any small pouch or sac that forms in the wall of a major organ of the human body. Diverticula form most commonly in the esophagus, small intestine, and large intestine and are most often a problem in the latter organ. Middle-aged and older people are particularly susceptible to the condition because of the inevitable weakening of the muscle walls of the colon with advancing age. Fecal matter may be pushed into the pouches that form in the colon and may cause them to bulge out from the colon wall. Such a condition is called diverticulosis. This condition has no symptoms, but the feces-filled sacs may become inflamed, a more serious condition called diverticulitis. Its symptoms are pain and cramps in the lower left side of the abdomen, chills, and sometimes fever. At this stage an accurate diagnosis becomes necessary, and the presence of pouches can be determined on an X-ray film taken after the patient has been given a barium enema. The treatment for a mild case of diverticulitis consists of bed rest, antibiotics, an enema, and a bland diet. A severe case can cause the perforation, rupture, ulceration, or hemorrhaging of the colon wall at the spot of the bulge. In cases of rupture, the surgical operation known as a colostomy may be necessary.