NEET PG / USMLE – MCQ 53

A 76-year-old man comes to the emergency department because of a 12-hour history of fever and left lower quadrant abdominal pain. He has not passed a stool for the past 36 hours. His temperature is 38.3°C (100.9°F). A tender mass is palpable in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen. Stool is negative for occult blood. Laboratory studies show:
Hemoglobin – 13 g/dL
Leukocyte count – 17,000/mm3 (84% neutrophils)
Platelet count – 200,000/mm3
Serum amylase – 115 U/L
Urinalysis – 0 to 1 WBC/hpf
An x-ray of the abdomen shows no abnormalities. The most likely diagnosis is an acute episode of which of the following disorders?
A. Cystitis
B. Diverticulitis
C. Infectious colitis
D. Ischemic colitis
F. Pyelonephritis

Correct answer : B. Diverticulitis