A Rare Presentation of Cecal Diverticulitis in a Patient With Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract

Cecal diverticulitis (CD) is a rarely seen and studied condition in American medicine. CD presents in a manner that is almost clinically indistinguishable from acute appendicitis. Both CD and acute appendicitis present with exceedingly similar symptoms including, but not limited to, right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain, fever, and vomiting. The diagnosis of CD is usually made during an operation and is seldom caught preoperatively. Although a fair number of CD cases have been reported since its discovery, only a handful of patients concurrently had a history of cystic fibrosis (CF). We report a rare case of CD that was initially believed to be appendicitis in a male patient with CF. Intraoperatively, a diagnosis of CD was reached due to identification of a single diverticulum in the cecal region with inflammatory changes consistent with microperforation. A partial cecectomy was performed and the patient was discharged 4 days later with resolution of symptoms.




J Curr Surg. 2019;9(1):13-16
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jcs374