Abstract
Diverticular disease is very common in Western countries, with the prevalence increasing with age to involve over 50%of the population by age 85. The pathogenesis is thought to be due to a lack of fiber in the Western diet with resultant low stool volumes. In fiber-rich diets, stools are bulky, which serves to keep the colon distended during muscular activity. On the other hand, with fiber-poor small-volume stools, muscular contraction closes off small areas or segments of the colon, and these segments develop high intraluminal pressure with further muscular contraction. In response to this pressure, portions of mucosa then herniate out along perforating arteries.
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Lazenby, A.J. (2005). Diverticular Colitis. In: Chhieng, D.C., Siegal, G.P. (eds) Updates in Diagnostic Pathology. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 563. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-32025-3_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-32025-3_4
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