# A Rare Case of Terminal Ileal Diverticulitis: Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management

**Authors:** Danielle A Cabiran, Sarina Nikzad, Michael J Padron, Ishaan Dutta, Ryan Lusk

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.81607 · Cureus · 2025-04-02

## TL;DR

This paper presents a rare case of terminal ileal diverticulitis, highlighting its challenging diagnosis and management due to symptoms resembling other conditions.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in the detailed clinical presentation of a rare terminal ileal diverticulitis case complicated by sepsis and comorbidities.

## Key findings

- Ileal diverticulitis symptoms often mimic Crohn's disease and appendicitis, leading to delayed diagnosis.
- The case highlights the importance of high clinical suspicion for diagnosing terminal ileal diverticulitis.
- Complications such as sepsis and abscess formation can arise from delayed diagnosis and management.

## Abstract

Diverticulitis is an acute inflammatory condition that typically affects the colon. Diverticulitis of the ileum is rare, with most cases reported in the terminal ileum, and is often triggered by an underlying infection, obstruction, or ischemia. Clinically, ileal diverticulitis presents with symptoms similar to colonic diverticulitis, such as abdominal pain, fever, and constipation. Symptoms can also mimic other conditions, including Crohn's disease and appendicitis. Thus, diagnosis is difficult and often delayed, leading to abscess, fistula formation, and acute abdomen. Diagnosing ileal diverticulitis requires a high clinical suspicion, which is depicted in this case of terminal ileal diverticulitis complicated by sepsis and the patient’s underlying medical comorbidities.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** diverticulitis (MONDO:0004235), Crohn's disease (MONDO:0005011), appendicitis (MONDO:0005649)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** Diverticulitis (MESH:D004238), fistula (MESH:D005402), infection (MESH:D007239), inflammatory (MESH:D007249), colonic diverticulitis (MESH:D004239), fever (MESH:D005334), Crohn's disease (MESH:D003424), abdominal pain (MESH:D015746), constipation (MESH:D003248), appendicitis (MESH:D001064), obstruction (MESH:D000402), sepsis (MESH:D018805), ischemia (MESH:D007511), abscess (MESH:D000038), acute abdomen (MESH:D000006)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

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## References

11 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12046870/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12046870