Complicated diverticulitis mimicking colonic carcinoma: combined approach with endoscopy and budesonide

Abstract

Complicated diverticulitis is an uncommon endoscopic finding. We report an unusual case of complicated diverticulitis in a 53-year-old man suffering from chronic constipation, abdominal pain and a recent episode of subocclusion. He underwent to colonoscopy that showed left-sided diverticulosis and a 3 cm irregular mass in the sigmoid. During biopsy sampling due to the suspect of colonic carcinoma, pus and bleeding came out from the lesion. After lavage, a large diverticulum with visible vessel at the bottom was found, which was clipped with stopping bleeding. After a short course of in-hospital treatment, at discharging the patient was treated with budesonide MMX9 mg/day for 8 weeks. At that time, colonoscopy did not show sign of diverticular inflammation, and inflammatory indexes were normal. This case demonstrates that the use of a topical steroid, combined with an endoscopic approach, may easily resolve an unusual endoscopic complication in patients suffering from complicated diverticular disease.