Abstract
In Western communities diverticular disease occurs mainly in the sigmoid colon. This contrasts with Oriental populations, in which diverticular occur mainly in the right colon. Diverticular disease has recently emerged in black South Africans. This study shows that diverticula in this population occurs predominantly in the descending colon. The variable anatomic distribution of diverticula in different ethnic groups implies that fiber deficiency is not the only factor responsible for this condition. It is suggested that diverticular disease may comprise several entities with different causes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Segal I, Solomon A, Hunt JA. Emergence of diverticular disease in the urban South African black. Gastroenterology 1977;72:215–9.
Segal I, Walker AR. Diverticular disease in urban Africans in South Africa. Digestion 1982;24:42–6.
Stemmerman GN, Yatani R. Diverticulosis and polyps of the large intestine: a necropsy study of Hawaiian Japanese. Cancer 1973; 31:1260–70.
Change WY. Colonic diverticulosis in Hawaii: a study of 414 cases. Hawaii Med J 1965;24:442–5.
Vajrabukka T, Saksornchai K, Jimakorn P. Diverticular disease of the colon in a far-eastern community. Dis Colon Rectum 1980;23:151–4.
Lee YS. Diverticular disease of the large bowel in Singapore: an autopsy study. Dis Colon Rectum 1986;29:330–5.
Spiro HM, ed. Lower bowel disorders. In: Clinical gastroenterology. New York: Macmillan, 1983:668–75.
Almy TP, Naitove A. Diverticular disease of the colon. In: Sleisenger MH, Fordtran JS, eds. Gastrointestinal disease. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1983:896–912.
Painter N. Diverticular disease of the colon. In: Trowell H, Burkitt D, Heaton K, eds. Dietary fibre, fibre-depleted foods and disease. London: Academic Press, 1985:145–60.
Guyton AC. Textbook of medical physiology. 6th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1981:816–26.
Melissas J, Segal I, Lerios M, Moar JJ. The anatomical length of the colon in black adults: differences between cadaver specimens and living subjects. S Afr Med J 1985;68:523.
Riedl P. Radiological morphology of the sigmoid colon in the Ethiopian population with reference to the occurrence of volvulus. E Afr Med J 1978;55:470–6.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Segal, I., Leibowitz, B. The distributional pattern of diverticular disease. Dis Colon Rectum 32, 227–229 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02554534
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02554534