Diverticular disease treated with corticotrophin.

Since 1968 the inflammatory stage of diverticular disease (acute and chronic diverticulitis) has been treated with tetracosactrin in one practice. This paper reviews 100 episodes treated in this way and compares these with 50 episodes treated with rest in bed and dietary measures. Abatement of pyrexia, swelling and tenderness, as well as relief of the symptoms of pain and malaise, were usually found to occur within 24 hours of the administration of tetracosactrin zinc (1 mg) intramuscularly. No complications directly attributable to this therapy have been observed, while the duration of the clinical illness has been reduced by more than half. In neither group were antibiotics found to influence the outcome.