Acute Appendicitis and Diverticulitis: Similarities and differences Apendicitis y Diverticulitis aguda. Semejanzas y diferencias

Abstract

Acute appendicitis and acute inflammatory diverticular disease continue to increase in incidence and prevalence in the adult population. These two entities are potentially fatal when their diagnosis is not made in the early pathophysiological stages. In advanced stages, they progress to organ perforation and generalized purulent or fecaloid peritonitis with subsequent sepsis of abdominal origin, which is life-threatening if systemic antibiotic therapy and peritoneal drainage with exhaustive lavage are not started timely. Conservative treatment for uncomplicated acute diverticulitis has progressed more than conservative management with antibiotics for acute appendicitis. This article reviews and discusses the similarities and differences in the clinical presentation, imaging evaluation and surgical treatments, exemplified in a clinical case of perforated appendicitis with generalized purulent peritonitis with satisfactory outcome and a complicated Hinchey III acute diverticulitis with fatal outcome.