Jejunal Diverticulitis Ascending to the Duodenum as a Rare Cause of Acute Abdomen

We present the case of a 73 year-old Caucasian male with acute abdominal pain, peritonism and vomiting. Due to the severity of symptoms a CT examination of the abdomen was performed. The scans revealed multiple jejunal diverticula, wall thickening of the duodenum and jejunum, and free peritoneal fluid. No clear signs of mesenteric infarction, free abdominal air or abscess formation were seen. An additional exploratory laparotomy was conducted to confirm the CT findings and rule out the need for resection of small bowel. Since the results were matching, conservative therapy was scheduled and the patient recovered well. Jejunal diverticulitis is a rare cause of acute abdomen, however has to be considered as a differential diagnosis to more common entities. It usually stays localized, while in our case the inflammation ascended to the duodenum. CT is the modality of choice to diagnose and rule out potentially life threatening complications.