Synonyms
Outpouchings, herniations, or protrusions of the colon; Pseudodiverticulosis
Definition
Diverticulosis of the colon is characterized by diverticula in the colon. They represent herniations of the colonic mucosa and submucosa through thickened muscularis mucosae into the pericolic fatty tissue (Riddell et al. 2014). This happens in individuals who eat low-fiber diets when intraluminal pressure is increased and muscle layers of the colon wall are weak (West and Losada 2004). Uncomplicated diverticular disease (diverticulosis) may be asymptomatic or may present with left lower abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea alternating with constipation. The symptoms are more prominent when inflammation of diverticula occurs (refer to as diverticulitis). This can lead to perforation with abscess or fistula formation. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage can also occur, usually arteriolar, causing bright red blood on the stool. Further complications are strictures of the colon and segmental colitis...
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References and Further Reading
Golder, M., Ster, I. C., Babu, P., Sharma, A., Bayat, M., & Farah, A. (2011). Demographic determinants of risk, colon distribution and density scores of diverticular disease. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 17, 1009–1017.
Maconi, G., Barbara, G., Bosetti, C., Cuomo, R., & Annibale, B. (2011). Treatment of diverticular disease of the colon and prevention of acute diverticulitis: A systematic review. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, 54, 1326–1338.
Riddell, R., El-Zamaity, H., & Jain, D. (2014). Motility disorders. In R. Riddell & D. Jain (Eds.), Lewin, Weinstein, and Riddell’s gastrointestinal pathology and its clinical implications (pp. 227–238). Philadelphia: Lippincot Williams & Wilkins/Walter Kluwer.
Weizman, A. V., & Nguyen, G. C. (2011). Diverticular disease: Epidemiology and management. Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology, 25, 385–389.
West, A. B., & Losada, M. (2004). The pathology of diverticulosis coli. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 38, S11–S16.
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Brcic, I. (2017). Diverticular Disease, Colon. 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_1454
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1454
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