Diverticulitis vs. Colitis: Key Differences in Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Both conditions affect the colon but have distinct etiologies and management.

Feature	Diverticulitis	Colitis
Primary Pathology	Inflammation/infection of colonic diverticula (outpouchings)	Inflammation of colonic mucosa (multiple subtypes)
Common Types	Acute uncomplicated, complicated (abscess, perforation)	Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's colitis, infectious, ischemic, microscopic
Typical Symptoms	LLQ abdominal pain, fever, leukocytosis, ± nausea, ± change in bowel habits	Diarrhea (often bloody), urgency, tenesmus, abdominal cramping, weight loss, fatigue
Diagnosis	CT abdomen/pelvis (gold standard)	Colonoscopy with biopsy, stool studies, imaging
Acute Treatment	Oral/IV antibiotics (if complicated), bowel rest, analgesia	Depends on type: 5-ASA, steroids, biologics, antibiotics, immunosuppressants
Surgery Indications	Perforation, abscess failure, obstruction, fistula, recurrent episodes	Refractory disease, dysplasia/cancer, toxic megacolon, perforation

Accurate differentiation is crucial—diverticulitis is often acute and antibiotic-responsive, while colitis (especially IBD) requires long-term immunomodulation.