Colon Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis has increased in incidence over the past few decades, becoming a major healthcare burden for Western countries. In the United States, acute diverticulitis results in nearly 200,000 hospital admissions and $2.2 billion in health care costs annually. Although the prevalence of the disease increases with age, younger adults may also develop the diverticular disease. In fact, for some time, it was thought that younger and male patients were more likely to experience a more aggressive form of diverticulitis with an increased complication rate and higher recurrence. However, recent studies have challenged this concept. Environmental and genetic risk factors result in diverticular disease development, although good quality evidence for many of these factors remains insufficient. Most cases of diverticulitis undergo successful management in the outpatient setting with oral antibiotics and temporary dietary restrictions. The decision to perform elective sigmoid colectomy in patients who recover from uncomplicated diverticulitis is controversial and requires case-by-case consideration. Surgical treatment is recommended in cases of complicated diverticulitis.