Colonic diverticula are very common and may be associated with symptoms or complicated by diverticulitis and its associated problems. Many of the traditional concepts relating to the pathophysiology, prevention, and management of these entities have been questioned recently based on findings from high-quality prospective studies. Although dietary fiber may protect against symptoms and complicat...

The differential diagnosis of left lower-quadrant pain includes gastrointestinal, gynecologic, and renal/ureteric pathology. Imaging is helpful in evaluating left lower-quadrant pain, and is generally guided by the clinical presentation. Acute sigmoid diverticulitis should be suspected when the clinical triad of left lower-quadrant pain, fever, and leukocytosis is present. The severity of disea...

OBJECTIVE To demonstrate the recent trends of admission and surgical management for diverticulitis in the United States. DESIGN Retrospective database analysis. SETTING The National Inpatient Sample database. PATIENTS Patients admitted to the hospital for diverticulitis from 2002 to 2007. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Patient characteristics, surgical approach, and mortality were evaluated for ...

Diverticula rarely occur within the lumen of the duodenum and are diagnosed in 2-5% of patients. They usually arise near the papilla of Vater and extend distally [1]. Duodenal diverticula are classified into two types: extraluminal or intraluminal. Although the patient with a diverticulum may be asymptomatic, a duodenal diverticulum usually presents with typical or atypical symptoms of peptic u...

A 72-year-old otherwise healthy female presented to the emergency department with two weeks of worsening abdominal pain. She was afebrile with normal vital signs. Her physical examination was notable for moderate abdominal tenderness without rebound to the left and suprapubic regions of the abdomen. Laboratory studies were remarkable for a white blood cell count of 13,000/mm3. A focused bedside...

HYPOTHESIS Patients with diverticulitis are at a lifetime risk for emergency colectomy and colostomy. Age and recurrence characteristics can serve to predict the risk for these adverse outcomes. DESIGN Time-to-event analysis and logistic regression were used to determine the risk of emergency colectomy/colostomy. SETTING AND PATIENTS A retrospective cohort study using a statewide administra...

We report a case of a 71-year-old female who presented with right lower quadrant (RLQ) abdominal pain and was diagnosed on CT scan with right-sided diverticulitis with perforation. She was admitted under the surgical service after consultation and received intravenous fluids, intravenous antibiotics, and pain medications as needed. The patient was discharged 2 days after admission in stable con...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Besides age, risk factors for colonic diverticular disease include dietary meat intake and Western lifestyles, which are also risk factors for obesity. However, the association between obesity and colonic diverticular disease, including diverticulosis and diverticulitis, is not well established. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between colonic diverticul...

introduction: Complicated diverticulitis of the colon is characterized by its association with abscesses, bleeding, stenosis, perforation, obstruction or fistula. We report a case of spontaneous sigmoidocutaneous fistula due to diverticulitis that appeared in an unusual location in the gluteal region. Clinical case: A 59-year-old male patient presented an inflammatory wound in the left buttock ...

There are few diseases whose incidence varies as greatly worldwide as that of diverticulosis. Its prevalence is largely age-dependent: the disease is uncommon in those under the age of 40, the prevalence of which is estimated at approximately 5%; this increases to 65% in those > or =65 years of age. Of patients with diverticula, 80-85% remain asymptomatic, while, for unknown reasons, only three...