Diagnosis
Diverticulitis is usually diagnosed during an acute attack. Because abdominal pain can indicate a number of problems, your doctor will need to rule out other causes for your symptoms.
Your doctor will likely start with a physical examination, including checking your abdomen for tenderness. Women, in addition, generally have a pelvic examination to rule out pelvic disease.
After that, your doctor will likely recommend:
- Blood and urine tests, to check for signs of infection.
- Pregnancy test for women of childbearing age, to rule out pregnancy as a cause of abdominal pain.
- Liver function tests, to rule out other causes of abdominal pain.
- Stool test, to rule out infection in people who have diarrhea.
- CT scan, which can indicate inflamed or infected pouches and confirm a diagnosis of diverticulitis. CT can also indicate the severity of diverticulitis and guide treatment.
Diagnosis at Mayo Clinic
Diverticulitis can be difficult to diagnose because abdominal pain is a symptom of many digestive disorders. Mayo Clinic has radiologists who specialize in digestive disorders and have experience distinguishing diverticulitis from other conditions.
Mayo's digestive disease specialists (gastroenterologists) have experience diagnosing the severity of diverticulitis. Precise diagnosis is important for appropriate treatment.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com