Diverticulosis
Read Your Scan Editorial Team·Last updated
Written from published radiology references and reviewed for plain language. Not written or signed by a physician, and not a diagnosis. How we write these pages →
In plain language
Small pouches in the wall of the colon, very common with age and often causing no symptoms. It is noted for completeness.
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Where you'll see this
This wording turns up on Abdominal CT reports — CT imaging of the abdomen. An abdominal CT shows the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, bowel, blood vessels, and lymph nodes in fine detail. Doctors order it for abdominal pain, to look into a suspected stone, infection, or blockage, or to check known findings. Because it is so detailed, it often notes small, harmless things by chance. The report describes what the images show; your doctor reads it together with your symptoms and other results.
Questions worth asking your doctor
- What was the main reason for this CT, and did it answer that question?
- Were any findings incidental, and do any of them need follow-up?
- If a stone or cyst was seen, does it need treatment or monitoring?
- Do the results change my current care or medications?
- Is there anything I can do about findings like fatty liver?
How common is this?
Diverticulosis, the presence of small pouches (diverticula) in the wall of the colon, is extremely common, found in well over half of adults over 60 in Western countries and increasing steadily with age. It is considered a normal part of colonic aging and is most often discovered incidentally on CT scans done for other reasons.
When should I worry?
Uncomplicated diverticulosis without symptoms is a routine finding that rarely needs any action. Left-sided abdominal pain, especially with fever or a change in bowel habits, can signal diverticulitis (infection/inflammation of a diverticulum), which needs medical evaluation. Sudden rectal bleeding is another complication that warrants prompt attention.
What happens next
For uncomplicated diverticulosis, a high-fiber diet and adequate hydration are the main recommendations to keep things moving smoothly. If diverticulitis develops, treatment depends on severity and ranges from oral antibiotics at home for mild cases to hospitalization and sometimes surgery for complicated or recurrent episodes.
Frequently asked questions
- Is diverticulosis the same as diverticulitis?
- No, diverticulosis simply means the pouches are present, which is very common and usually harmless. Diverticulitis means one of those pouches has become inflamed or infected, which is much less common and causes symptoms like pain and fever.
- Do I need to avoid seeds and nuts?
- No, the old advice to avoid seeds, nuts, and popcorn has been disproven by research and is no longer recommended. A high-fiber diet, which often includes these foods, is actually beneficial for people with diverticulosis.
- Will I need a colonoscopy because of this finding?
- Diverticulosis itself is not an indication for colonoscopy, but your doctor may recommend one based on your age and screening history since diverticulosis and colorectal cancer screening are both age-related. The two conditions are unrelated.
Other words on the same report
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