Synonyms
Crescentic fold disease; Diverticular disease-associated chronic colitis; Isolated sigmoiditis; Segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD)
Definition
Diverticular colitis can be defined operationally as mucosal inflammation within a colon segment containing diverticula. It primarily affects the sigmoid colon. It is however distinct from diverticulitis, which is inflammation of one or more diverticula and the surrounding connective and muscle tissues. Diverticular colitis is noteworthy for mimicking chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), both endoscopically and histologically.
Clinical Features
Incidence
Only a subset of patients with diverticulosis coli also develops diverticular colitis. Estimates vary between less than 1% and 4%. The true incidence and prevalence are probably underestimated as many patients do not develop worrisome symptoms. The most common presenting complaints are cramping left lower quadrant pain or tenesmus, constipation or diarrhea which...
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Burroughs, S. H., Bowrey, D. J., Morris-Stiff, G. J., et al. (1998). Granulomatous inflammation in sigmoid diverticulitis: Two diseases or one? Histopathology, 33, 349–353.
Goldstein, N. S., Leon-Armin, C., & Mani, A. (2000). Crohn’s colitis-like changes in sigmoid diverticulitis specimens is usually an idiosyncratic inflammatory response to the diverticulosis rather than Crohn’s colitis. The American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 24, 668–675.
Lamps, L. W., & Knapple, W. L. (2007). Diverticular disease-associated segmental colitis. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 5, 27–31.
Makapugay, L. M., & Dean, P. J. (1996). Diverticular disease-associated chronic colitis. The American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 20, 94–102.
Tursi, A. (2011). Segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis: Complication of diverticular disease or autonomous entity? Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 56, 27–34.
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De Hertogh, G. (2017). Diverticular Colitis. In: Carneiro, F., Chaves, P., Ensari, A. (eds) Pathology of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1438
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1438
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
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