What would a sigmoidoscopy reveal in a patient with diverticulitis?

In a patient with diverticulitis, a sigmoidoscopy is most likely to reveal signs of inflammation in the colon. This inflammation is a result of the diverticular disease, which involves the formation of small pouches (diverticula) in the colonic wall that can become inflamed or infected.

During a sigmoidoscopy, the healthcare provider can visually assess the condition of the rectum and lower part of the colon for any swelling, redness, or abnormal tissue that indicates inflammation. In cases of diverticulitis, the affected areas may show signs of edema, erythema, and possibly ulceration, which all point to the inflammatory process.

While abscess formation and free air might be present complicating factors in advanced cases of diverticulitis, they would not typically be directly visualized by a sigmoidoscopy. A polyp formation is not relevant in this context, as diverticulitis primarily focuses on the inflammatory aspect rather than neoplastic changes like polyps. Therefore, detecting inflammation of the colon through a sigmoidoscopy serves as a direct indicator of the underlying diverticulitis in the patient.