Ileal diverticulitis: an uncommon diagnosis for right lower quadrant pain

We report an interesting case of ileal diverticulitis which posed a diagnostic challenge. A 75-year-old female presented to the emergency department with severe right lower quadrant pain for 3 days. The clinical history, examination and imaging suggested a diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The patient was taken to the operating room for an open appendectomy. The intra-operative findings demonstrated a large mass at the ileocecal junction involving the appendix as well as multiple nodular masses in the ileum and cecum. The patient underwent a right hemicolectomy with ileocecal anastomosis. The pathology result revealed Ileal diverticulitis. Ileal diverticulitis is a rare form of diverticulitis. It can often mimic other processes such as acute appendicitis. Once ileal diverticulitis is diagnosed, it should be treated with the same principles as for sigmoid diverticulitis. Though rare, ileal diverticulitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient who presents with right lower quadrant pain, and a computed tomography scan that shows an inflammatory process in the right lower quadrant, in the setting of a normal appendix.