Complications of Diverticulitis
Complications of
diverticulitis include:
- A pocket of infection (abscess) that forms in the
abdominal cavity. The inflammation or infection may spread to the membrane
that covers the inside of the abdominal wall. This infection, called peritonitis, may spread to
other parts of the body (sepsis).
- Free perforation. In rare cases,
a hole in a diverticulum may allow stool to enter the abdominal cavity, causing
peritonitis.
- An abnormal opening (fistula) that forms between the
large intestine and organs near it. In diverticulitis, a fistula may form
between two parts of the large intestine or between the large intestine and the
bladder, vagina, or
urethra.
- Blockage in the colon (bowel
obstruction).
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology |
| Last Revised | July 19, 2012 |