Background: Diverticular associated colitis (DAC) has become increasingly appreciated as a form of inflammatory disease, localized mainly in the sigmoid, and defined as chronic inflammation of the interdiverticular mucosa with sparing of rectum, right colon and diverticula themselves.
Methods: A retrospective case identification from January 2005 to December 2016 was performed. Patients with a diagnosis of DAC based on clinical, endoscopic and histological findings were enrolled. We analyzed their characteristics and response to therapy, and performed a review of literature.
Results: Out of 377 pathology reports, 37 cases of DAC were identified, with a median age of 73 years and followed during 1-13 years. Six patients (16.22%) were refractory to conservative treatment and required surgery. In three patients (8.11%) evolution to ulcerative colitis (UC) was observed. Patients were divided into four endoscopic patterns, with a more benign course for type A “crescentic fold disease” compared to the other subtypes. Patients with type B “mild to moderate ulcerative colitis-like” were at significantly higher risk of persistent disease activity or relapse (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: DAC is a multifaceted disease and considered to be a relatively benign condition. However, a subset of patients requires surgery and/or may progress to develop UC.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.