Diverticular disease of the small intestine
Diverticular disease of the small intestine is caused by pathological changes in one or more diverticula.
Diverticula are formed in various parts of the small intestine, and therefore the clinical symptoms of inflammation are determined by their localization.
With inflammation of the diverticula:
a) duodenal pain appears in the right hypochondrium, accompanied by bad breath.
b) the duodenum near the Fater's papilla, through which bile and pancreatic enzymes enter the intestine, the development of mechanical jaundice and the picture of acute pancreatitis is possible;
c) Meckel's diverticula in the ileum may cause bleeding, in children - intestinal inversion, obstruction, in the elderly-the appearance of symptoms of appendicitis may occur. Multiple diverticula of the jejunum are most often asymptomatic. With inflammation, they develop an excessive growth of microbes, impaired absorption, edema, and a disorder of water-electrolyte metabolism.
The clinical symptomsthat make you suspect the disease include:
- cramping pains in the abdomen
- bad breath
- flatulence
- diarrhea
- constipation
- intestinal bleeding
- edema of the lower extremities
If you have these symptoms, you should consult a doctor. The specialist will assess the condition and prescribe an examination.
The main method of examination is X-ray examination of the small intestine. This study will determine the violation of emptying diverticula, the degree of filling them with contrast, thereby confirming or excluding the diagnosis.
The danger of the disease is the possibility of progression of the inflammatory process, the development of bleeding, obstruction, abscess and rupture of the diverticulum, complicated by peritonitis.
Treatment consists in following a special diet, the use of antibacterial drugs. In the presence of complications, surgical treatment is possible.
In the Moscow Clinical Scientific and Practical Center named after A. S. Loginov, the treatment of diverticular disease of the small intestine is carried out jointly by gastroenterologists and surgeons.
Do not delay your visit to the specialists of our Center. This will help to diagnose this condition in a timely manner and choose the right treatment tactics. Doctors of the Department of Non-inflammatory Bowel Pathology of the State Medical Institution of the Moscow State Medical Center named after A. S. Loginov DZM are always ready to help you.
