What labs will be abnormal with diverticulitis?
CBC count: Elevated white blood cell (WBC) count may occur in diverticulitis. Hematocrit may drop following significant acute or chronic blood loss. Chemistry: Liver chemistries, serum amylase and lipase levels are performed only if indicated by clinical presentation to exclude other differential diagnoses.
X-ray - Lower GI tract: Your doctor may use x-ray to assess for complications from diverticulitis. Blood and urine tests: Blood tests look for signs of infection and/or inflammation. These signs may include high white blood cell counts.
A health care professional will take a blood sample from you and send the sample to a lab. Doctors may use blood tests to check for signs of diverticulitis or its complications.
There will usually be an elevated white blood cell (WBC) count and left shift, although patients with early and mild diverticulitis may have a normal WBC count.
Patients with small intestine diverticulitis frequently present with acute abdominal pain, leukocytosis, and elevated amylase levels, which is very similar to the presentation of Page 6 Case Rep Gastroenterol 2017;11:462–472 DOI: 10.1159/000475747 © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel www.karger.com/ ...
The white cell count is often raised in patients with diverticulitis or abscess. Bleeding may cause a raised platelet count and anaemia.
Percutaneous therapy
However according to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) radiologically guided percutaneous drainage is usually the most appropriate treatment for patients with a large diverticular abscess as it avoids the need for emergency surgery and possibility of a colostomy34.
The current study revealed that the Hb levels were lower in patients with diverticula than in those individuals without; lower Hb levels were likely associated with the presence of diverticula as this is a major cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (15).
The median CRP in patients with complicated diverticulitis was significantly higher than in patients with uncomplicated disease (224 mg/l, range 99-284 vs 87 mg/l, range 48-151). Patients with a CRP of 25 mg/l had a 15% chance of having complicated diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis. In this common condition, small sac-like pouches form in the lining of the colon and become inflamed. The inflammation can cause intestinal bleeding that, about a quarter of the time, leads to iron-deficiency anemia.
Can WBC be elevated with inflammation?
WBC count increases in inflammation. Systemic low-grade inflammatory response in obesity is associated with higher WBC counts and two- to three-fold increase in the systemic concentrations of CRP and IL-6 (18).
It can also be misinterpreted as pancreatic pseudocyst when it is large and fluid filled.
Although small bowel diverticular disease is linked to chronic pancreatitis, evidence for association with acute pancreatitis is scarce. The authors believe this is the first reported case of jejunal diverticular disease causing acute pancreatitis, and it highlights micro-perforation as a potential disease mechanism.
Liver abscess is a rare complication of sigmoid diverticulitis and must be considered within the differential diagnosis.
Diverticular disease and diverticulitis are related digestive conditions that affect the large intestine (colon). In diverticular disease, small bulges or pockets (diverticula) develop in the lining of the intestine.
Diverticulitis, endometriosis, liver cirrhosis, uterine fibroids, menstruation, pregnancy, benign ovarian neoplasms, and other malignancies (pancreatic, bladder, breast, liver, lung) can all result in an elevated CA125[11].
Increased formation of neutrophil/platelet and/or monocyte/platelet complexes has been reported in patients with various inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis (29–31), allergic asthma (32), perionditis (33), ulcerative colitis (34), ischemic stroke (35), dengue infection (36), and ...
Abdominal computerized tomography (CT) scan is still the gold standard in diagnosing acute diverticulitis and its complications. CT-colonography may be useful as a predicting tool on the outcome of the disease.
The median CRP in patients with complicated diverticulitis was significantly higher than in patients with uncomplicated disease (224 mg/l, range 99-284 vs 87 mg/l, range 48-151). Patients with a CRP of 25 mg/l had a 15% chance of having complicated diverticulitis.
If antibiotics are given for uncomplicated diverticulitis, consider amoxicillin/clavulanic acid or an oral cephalosporin plus metronidazole if the patient can take oral therapy. If intravenous therapy is needed cefazolin, cefuroxime, or ceftriaxone, all plus metronidazole or ampicillin/sulbactam alone can be used.
Will an abdominal ultrasound show diverticulitis?
Studies in the hands of expert bowel sonographers show ultrasound has a sensitivity and specificity of >80% for the diagnosis of diverticulitis.
Rest, taking over-the-counter medications for pain and following a low-fiber diet or a liquid diet may be recommended until your symptoms improve. Once your symptoms improve, you can slowly return to soft foods, then a more normal diet, which should be one that includes many high-fiber foods.
Common alternative conditions that can clinically mimic diverticulitis include small bowel obstruction, primary epiploic appendagitis, acute cholecystitis, appendicitis, ileitis, ovarian cystic disease, and ureteral stone disease.
Diverticulitis is caused by an infection of one or more of the diverticula. It is thought an infection develops when a hard piece of stool or undigested food gets trapped in one of the pouches. This gives bacteria in the stool the chance to multiply and spread, triggering an infection.
Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula tear, resulting in inflammation, and in some cases, infection.