[Acute solitary diverticulitis of the cecum, a rare cause of acute abdomen. Apropos of 9 cases and review of the literature].

The natural history of colonic diverticulitis rarely includes acute solitary localization in the cecum. Complications are even more rarely seen. We report retrospectively nine cases seen in our unit. There were 5 males and 4 females, mean age 54 years. The patients presented with a more or less painful abdomen with localization in the right iliac region and signs of peritoneal irritation. Physical examination revealed a painful mass in this zone. Fever and hyperleukocytosis were not found in all patients. Barium enema demonstrated signs of pseudocompression of the cecum in four cases suggesting a tumoral formation in two and diverticulitis in the two others. A right hemicolectomy was performed in five patients as peroperative pathological diagnosis could not be ascertained on the macroscopic specimen. Diverticulectomy in the four other patients was unsuccessful in direct relation with the disease course and late diagnosis.