Small bulging sacs or pouches of the inner lining of the intestine (diverticulosis) that become inflamed or infected.

• A. Diverticulitis
• B. Diverticulosis
• C. Hemorrhoids
• D. Polyps

Answer: (A)

The key idea is distinguishing inflammation of diverticula from merely having diverticula. When these small bulging sacs in the colon become inflamed or infected, the condition is diverticulitis. That inflammation is what drives symptoms like fever and localized abdominal pain, and it guides treatment toward antibiotics and, in more severe cases, possible hospitalization or surgery. By contrast, diverticulosis refers to the presence of the pouches without inflammation. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anal area, not inflamed diverticula in the colon, and polyps are abnormal tissue growths in the lining of the colon. So the description’s focus on inflammation of the pouches points to diverticulitis.