A Case of True Diverticulosis of the Appendix

Abstract

A 56-year-old man visited our hospital with the chief complaint of gradually intensifying right lower quadrant abdominal pain. The abdomen was flat and soft, but there was tenderness in the right lower quadrant. Abdominal computed tomography showed a swollen appendix up to 8 mm in diameter with grape-like “multiple diverticula. The patient was diagnosed as having acute appendicitis with appendiceal diverticulosis, and underwent appendectomy. Multiple diverticula were detected in the enlarged appendix, but no perforation and abscess were found. Pathological examination indicated multiple true diverticula with muscle layer and infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells mainly composed of lymphocytes and plasmacytes at the body of appendix and diverticula. Histopathological diagnosis was appendicitis with true diverticulitis of the appendix.
Diverticulosis of the appendix is a relatively rare entity. The majority are pseudodiverticula and true diverticula are very rare. We present a case of true diverticulosis of the appendix diagnosed preoperatively, with a review of the literature.