Case history
Case history #1
A 57-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia presents to the emergency department with a 24-hour history of gradually worsening left lower quadrant abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting. Prior to this episode, the patient did not have any significant gastrointestinal problems, except occasional dyspepsia after heavy meals. She felt feverish but did not take her temperature. Her family history is negative for gastrointestinal disorders.
Case history #2
A 32-year-old obese, but otherwise healthy, man presents to the emergency department with onset of acute lower abdominopelvic pain for the last 2 hours. He has no fever and there is no history of any previous significant illness, except loud snoring, possible sleep apnea, and being overweight.
Other presentations
Right-sided diverticular disease is more common among the Asian population.[9][10] Its presentation often mimics acute appendicitis but usually patients do not describe any prodromal symptoms as they would in acute appendicitis. Patients present with acute right lower quadrant abdominal pain and tenderness lateral to McBurney point. Symptoms include fever, nausea, and vomiting. In complicated right-sided diverticulitis, patients may have a palpable right lower abdominal tender mass or signs of peritonitis.
Case history: right-sided diverticulitis
A 53-year-old Asian man presents as an emergency patient with an acute onset of right lower abdominal pain of 3 days' duration. He does not report any prodromal symptoms. On examination, he has a fever and right-sided abdominal tenderness lateral to McBurney point, and cough tenderness is positive.
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