Diverticulitis of the Colon

Diverticula of the large intestine have been recognized for the last 250 years. The first descriptions of diverticula resulted from postmortem examinations, the earliest of these being ascribed to the-French surgeon, Alexis Littre, in 1700. The condition has also been described by such time-honoured morbid pathologists as Matthew Baillie, Rudolf Virchow and Jean Cruveilhier, whose writings in I849 are generally accepted as the starting point of our better understanding of the condition. In the early part of this century clinical recognition of the condition resulted in successful resections of diseased segments of bowel by surgical giants as Lord Moynihan and W. J. Mayo of the famous American clinic. In 1913 the use of contrast media in gastro-intestinal radiology gave an added impetus to our knowledge of this condition. Today, diverticulosis of the colon and its complications is frequently met with in the outpatient department and emergency service.