ABSTRACT
Right-sided diverticulitis accounts for the majority of diverticulitis in Asian countries but represents only a small portion of diverticulitis in Western countries. There is a paucity of evidence concerning management of right-sided diverticulitis because of the rarity of right-sided diverticulitis in Western countries. Compared with left-sided diverticulitis, right-sided diverticulitis has a significantly earlier age of onset. In asymptomatic patients, the most accurate method of diagnosis in right-sided diverticulosis is by contrast enema. Right-sided diverticulitis is often difficult to diagnose clinically due to its similarity with appendicitis. Imaging studies are invaluable in assessing right-sided diverticulitis. A large number of patients with right-sided diverticulitis are diagnosed intra-operatively during laparoscopy. Laparoscopic surgery has also been applied to the management of acute right sided diverticulitis. To operate on diverticulitis using a laparoscopic approach, one needs to be familiar with both the medial-to-lateral and lateral-to-medial dissection approach.
