To the Editor.–It was most interesting to read the report by Wong et al of a case of perforated solitary diverticulitis of the transverse colon in the February issue of the Archives (108:249, 1974). In view of the rarity of this condition, the case of a patient recently under my care is presented.
A 39-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with a five-week history of abdominal pain. The onset was sudden and accompanied by high temperature. In her past history she had a papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, was a known diabetic, and also had dermatomyositis. For the latter condition, she was on a regimen of prednisolone, 15 mg daily in divided doses.
She was very obese, and abdominal palpation revealed a large and tender mass to the left of the umbilicus.
A barium enema revealed a fistulous communication between the left part of the transverse colon and