Endoscopic View Of Diverticulitis Of The Sigmoid (4 of 4)

The sigmoid and descending colon show signs of diverticulitis. Diverticulitis is defined as an inflammation of one or more diverticula. Fecal material or undigested food particles may collect in a diverticulum. Obstruction of the neck of the diverticulum results in distension of the pouch secondary to mucous secretion and overgrowth of normal colonic bacteria. The thin-walled diverticulum, consisting solely of mucosa, is susceptible to vascular compromise and subsequent microperforation or macroperforation. This perforation may be the initiating event leading to symptomatic diverticular diseases. Disease is frequently mild when pericolic fat and mesentery wall-off a small perforation. More extensive disease leads to abscess formation and rarely, with rupture, to peritonitis.