Over the last decade there has been a striking shift in our understanding of the epidemiology, pathology, and management of diverticular disease. Indeed, many of the guidelines published in the late nineties and early 2000s are now redundant. High-fiber diets, avoidance of nuts and seeds, antibiotic treatment for mild diverticulitis, elective resection after 2 attacks of diverticulitis, Hartman...

intervention, or monitoring.3 After resolution of an episode of diverticulitis, the standard of care is to perform a colonoscopy to exclude diagnoses that mimic diverticulitis—notably, colorectal cancer. This recommendation arose during a time when the diagnosis rested on clinical suspicion and radio­ graphic imaging with barium.4 Computed tomog­ raphy, with a substantially higher sensitivity t...

BACKGROUND This study critically reviews sigmoid colon resection for diverticulitis comparing open and laparoscopic techniques. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of all open and laparoscopic cases of diverticulitis between 1992 and 2001. Data analyzed included the following: indications for operation, postoperative complications, and incidence of laparoscopic conversion to laparotom...

OBJECTIVE We compare the results of 2 different strategies for the management of patients with uncomplicated left colonic diverticulitis and to analyze differences in quality of life and economic costs. BACKGROUND The most frequent standard management of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis still is hospital admission both in Europe and United States. METHODS This multicenter, randomized cont...

PURPOSE We aimed to investigate the relationship between the number of prior episodes of diverticulitis and outcomes of sigmoid colectomy. METHODS After institutional review board approval, a retrospective review was undertaken based on records of patients who underwent sigmoid resection with anastomosis for diverticulitis between 4 May 2007 and 29 February 2012. Patients were divided into tw...

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) show a high incidence of bacterial translocation and impaired gastrointestinal motility. The intestinal tract is believed to be the most crucial source of translocated bacteria. To evaluate the risk of colonic diverticulitis in patients with ESRD, we conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study. Patients who met the following 3 criteria were ...

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for diverticulitis has initially been confined to the elective setting. However, open acute sigmoidectomy for perforated diverticulitis is associated with high morbidity rates that might be reduced after laparoscopic surgery. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the feasibility of emergency laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for perforated diverticulitis...

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of acute diverticulitis is mainly based on clinical, biological and computed tomography (CT)-scan findings. Elective colonoscopy is recommended after medical treatment, to rule out another diagnosis and to detect associated conditions; however, the relevance of this recommendation has been questioned. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between January 2005 and December 2011, we ret...

BACKGROUND The value of antibiotics in the treatment of acute uncomplicated left-sided diverticulitis is not well established. The aim of this review was to assess whether or not antibiotics contribute to the (uneventful) recovery from acute uncomplicated left-sided diverticulitis, and which types of antibiotic and route of administration are most effective. METHODS Medline, the Cochrane Libr...

OBJECTIVE To assess the morbidity and mortality associated with complicated diverticulitis in Pakistan. METHODS The retrospective case series was conducted at an urban tertiary care university hospital of Karachi, Pakistan, comprising data from December 1989 to November 2010. International Classification of Diseases codes for diverticular disease and diverticulitis with abscess, fistula, stri...