diverticulum

di·ver·tic·u·lum

noun \ˌdī-vər-ˈti-kyə-ləm\

plural di·ver·tic·u·la\-lə\

Definition of DIVERTICULUM

1

: an abnormal pouch or sac opening from a hollow organ (as the intestine or bladder)

2

: a pocket or closed branch opening off a main passage

— di·ver·tic·u·lar \-kyə-lər\ adjective

Origin of DIVERTICULUM

New Latin, from Latin, bypath, probably alteration of deverticulum, from devertere to turn aside, from de- + vertere

First Known Use: circa 1819

di·ver·tic·u·lum

noun \ˌdī-vər-ˈtik-yə-ləm\   (Medical Dictionary)

plural ; di·ver·tic·u·la \-lə\ (audio pronunciation)

Medical Definition of DIVERTICULUM

1

: an abnormal pouch or sac opening from a hollow organ (as the colon or bladder)

2

: a blind tube or sac branching off from a cavity or canal of the body <the liver is an anterior diverticulum of the intestine—Gordon Alexander>

diverticulum

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Small pouch or sac formed in the wall of a major organ, usually the esophagus, small intestine, or large intestine (the most frequent site of problems). In the large intestine, feces pushed into a pouch can make it bulge out from the colon wall, a condition known as diverticulosis, which has no symptoms. In the more serious condition called diverticulitis, those sacs become inflamed, causing pain and tenderness, chills, and sometimes fever. Mild cases need only bed rest and antibiotics. In severe cases, perforation or rupture of the colon wall at the diverticulum can cause peritonitis. Rupture may require colostomy. Meckel diverticulum, a congenital malformation of the upper intestine that causes bleeding and inflammation, may require surgical removal.