Diagnosis and management of diverticulitis in women

Diverticular disease is thought to be related to dietary fiber deficiency and has a higher incidence in developed countries and in older patients, especially women. Diverticulitis is an inflammatory process of colonic diverticula that commonly presents with lower abdominal pain, fever, and leukocytosis. The differential diagnosis of diverticulitis includes ruptured ovarian cyst, ovarian torsion, tubo-ovarian abscess, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, appendicitis, Crohn's disease, colon cancer, ischemic colitis, pseudomembranous colitis, complicated ulcer disease, and urologic disease. Treatment may be medical or surgical, depending upon the severity of the episode and the presence or absence of complications.