Complications of diverticulosis coli: the pattern of an emerging disease entity - abstract

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of diverticular disease of the colon in Trinidad is higher than in the other developing countries. A 46-month review yielded 52 cases with complications of the entity. Haemorrhage was the most common complication (65 percent) but required surgery in only 11.7 percent of cases. Acute diverticulitis and pericolic abscess accounted for 23 percent of the total and required surgery in 58 percent (7/12). There were 4 cases of colovesical fistula and 2 with chronic abdominal pain. The sigmoid colon was the most often affected segment of the large bowel. In the only case where bleeding was localized pre-operatively, the site was in the hepatic flexure. Sigmoid colectomy was the most frequently performed procedure (59 percent) with wound infection complicating 26 percent of the cases. Only one patient managed conservatively had recurring symptoms (2.8 percent). Conservative therapy appears to be the management of choice of this emerging disease entity (AU)