clinical features
Last reviewed 01/2018
Clinical features of a pericolic abscess include:
- history of diverticular disease
- continuous left iliac fossa pain
- systemically unwell - swinging pyrexia, tachycardia - may present as PUO or septicaemia
- on examination, abdominal findings range from localised tenderness in the left iliac fossa to localised peritonitis
- purulent diarrhoea - the abscess may spontaneously drain into the colon
- unresponsive to antibiotic treatment of acute diverticulitis