1.The Prevalence and Characteristics of Symptomatic Uncomplicated Diverticular Disease Among Asian Patients With Unexplained Abdominal Symptoms
Tsumugi JONO ; Yuki KASAI ; Takaomi KESSOKU ; Tomoki OGATA ; Kosuke TANAKA ; Tsutomu YOSHIHARA ; Noboru MISAWA ; Shingo KATO ; Takuma HIGURASHI ; Kunihiro HOSONO ; Masato YONEDA ; Kosuke SEITA ; Takayuki KATO ; Eiji SAKAI ; Takeo KURIHASHI ; Machiko NAKATOGAWA ; Shunsuke OYAMADA ; Seiji FUTAGAMI ; Kok-Ann GWEE ; Atsushi NAKAJIMA
Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2024;30(1):87-96
Background/Aims:
The precise incidence of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) and its effects on the quality of life (QOL) remain unclear, particularly in Asian patients with right-sided SUDD. We assess the prevalence of SUDD and its impact on QOL in a real-world population.
Methods:
Five institutional cohorts of patients who received outpatient treatment for unexplained abdominal symptoms from January 15, 2020 to March 31, 2022, were included. All patients underwent colonoscopy. SUDD was defined as the presence of recurrent abdominal symptoms, particularly pain in the lower right or left quadrant lasting > 24 hours in patients with diverticulosis at the site of pain. The 36-item short-form health survey was used to assess QOL.
Results:
Diverticula were identified in 108 of 361 patients. Among these 108 patients, 31% had SUDD, which was right-sided in 39% of cases.Of the 50 patients with right-sided diverticula, 36% had SUDD, as did 15 of 35 patients with left-sided diverticula (43%). Among the 33 patients with SUDD, diverticula were right-sided, left-sided, and bilateral in 39%, 45%, and 15% of patients, respectively. Diarrhea was more frequent in the SUDD group than in the non-SUDD group. Patients with SUDD had significantly lower physical, mental, and role/social component scores than those without SUDD.
Conclusions
It is important to recognize that patients with SUDD account for as high as 31% of outpatients with unexplained abdominal symptoms; these patients have diarrhea and a low QOL. The presence of right-sided SUDD was characteristic of Asian patients.