BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is limited data to compare the clinical characteristics and recurrence rates between left-sided primary epiploic appendagitis (PEA) versus left-sided acute colonic diverticulitis (ACD), and right-sided PEA versus right-sided ACD, respectively.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiologic images of the patients who presented with left-sided or right-sided acute abdominal pain and had computer tomography performed at the time of presentation showing radiological signs of PEA or ACD between January 2004 and December 2014. We compared the clinical characteristics of left PEA versus left ACD and right PEA versus right ACD, respectively.RESULTS: Fifty-six patients (left:right = 27:29) and 308 patients (left:right = 24:284) were diagnosed with symptomatic PEA and ACD, respectively. Left-sided PEA were statistically significantly younger (50.2 ± 15.4 years vs. 62.1 ± 15.8 years, P= 0.009), more obese (body mass index [BMI]: 26.3 ± 2.9 kg/m² vs. 22.3 ± 3.1 kg/m² , P< 0.001), and had more tendencies with normal or mildly elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (1.2 ± 1.3 mg/dL vs. 8.4 ± 7.9 mg/dL, P< 0.001) than patients with left-sided ACD. The discriminative function of age, BMI and CRP between left-sided PEA versus left-sided ACD was 0.71 (cutoff: age ≤ 59 years, sensitivity of 66.7%, specificity of 77.8%), 0.84 (cutoff: BMI > 24.5 kg/m² , sensitivity of 80.0%, specificity of 80.0%) and 0.80 (cutoff: CRP < 1.8 mg/dL, sensitivity of 72.2%, specificity of 85.7%).CONCLUSIONS: If patients with left lower quadrant abdominal pain are less than 60 years, obese (BMI > 24.5 kg/m² ) with or without normal to mild elevated CRP levels (CRP < 1.8 mg/dL), it might be necessary for clinicians to suspect the diagnosis of PEA rather than ACD.
Abdominal Pain ; C-Reactive Protein ; Diagnosis ; Diverticulitis ; Diverticulitis, Colonic ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Obesity ; Peas ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The clinical course and the most appropriate management of colonic diverticulitis in young patients are currently unresolved. This retrospective study was designed to compare young patients (< or =40 years) with older patients (>40 years) regarding clinical characteristics of acute colonic diverticulitis and to determine whether differences exist in treatment outcome. METHODS: Three-hundred sixty eight patients presenting with acute colonic diverticulitis from March 2001 through April 2011 at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The differences in clinical characteristics, treatment modality and recurrence between each group were analyzed. RESULTS: Two-hundred and six patients were aged 40 years or younger and 162 patients were older than 40 years. The older group was diagnosed more frequently with severe diverticulitis. Surgical treatment was significantly more frequent in the older group than in the younger group (15.4% vs. 4.4%, p<0.001). No significant difference was found in treatment modality between the two groups in patients with recurrence. The difference in recurrence between groups was not statistically significant. In multivariate analysis, left colonic diverticulitis was significantly associated with severe diverticulitis (OR, 14.651; 95% CI, 4.829-44.457) and emergency surgery (OR, 13.745; 95% CI, 4.390-43.031). CONCLUSIONS: When patients with colonic diverticulitis are treated conservatively, young age is no longer an independent risk factor for subsequent poor outcome. Diverticulitis in young patients does not have a particularly aggressive or fulminant course. Therefore, we recommend that diverticulitis management should be based on the severity and location of the disease, and not on the age of the patient.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Body Mass Index ; Diverticulitis, Colonic/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome

Colonic diverticular disease is the common conditions in industrialized and westernized countries, but it is relatively rare in areas such as Asia. Colonic diverticula are asymptomatic in most cases, only 10-25% develop diverticulitis and 1% finally gets surgery. The location of colonic diverticulitis are significantly different in Western countries and Asia. Left-sided diverticulitis is common in Western countries, while in Asians, right-sided diverticulitis is more prevalent. A CT scans is commonly used to diagnose diverticulitis and its complication such as abscess, obstruction, fistula and perforation. It also has been used in percutaneous drainage of diverticular abscess and predicting the success of medical therapy. After resolution of clinical attack of diverticulitis, colonoscopy can be performed to exclude colon cancer. The current therapeutic approaches for colonic diverticulitis are relieving symptoms and preventing complications. Uncomplicated diverticulitis is successfully treated with antibiotics, bowel rest and pain control, while complicated diverticulitis require surgical consultation. Treatment strategy of recurrent diverticulitis depends on age and comorbid diseases as well as the frequency and severity of subsequent attacks.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnosis* ; Diverticulitis* ; Diverticulitis, Colonic ; Diverticulum, Colon ; Drainage ; Fistula ; Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Stercoral perforation of the colon is an unusual pathological condition with fewer than 150 cases reported in the literature to date. We present a case of stercoral colonic perforation mimicking upper gastrointestinal perforation, which was diagnosed by computed tomography preoperatively. However, at laparotomy, stercoral colonic diverticulum perforation with jejunal diverticulitis became the most appropriate diagnosis.
Aged, 80 and over ; Colonic Diseases ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Diverticulitis ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Diverticulum, Colon ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Jejunal Diseases ; diagnosis ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Abscess ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Adenocarcinoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diverticulitis, Colonic ; complications ; diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Laparotomy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sigmoid Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

A 59-year-old man presented with abdominal and left flank pain. The symptom had started 30 days before as an acute nephrolithiasis, which had worsened despite conservative management. The abdomen was slightly distended and tender over the lower abdomen, without signs of generalized peritoneal irritation. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed an abscess in left para-renal space up to the subphrenic space and an unexpected pneumomediastinum. An emergency operation was performed, which showed retroperitoneal diverticulitis perforation of the sigmoid descending junction with abscess formation. A segmental resection of the diseased colon and end-colostomy was performed (Hartmann's procedure). However, the patient's condition progressively deteriorated, and he died of sepsis and multi-organ failure on the 5th postoperative day. Although pneumomediastinum caused by colonic diverticulitis perforation is extremely rare, it could be a life-threatening condition in patients without signs of peritonitis because of delayed diagnosis.
Abdomen ; Abscess ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diverticulitis ; Diverticulitis, Colonic ; Emergencies ; Flank Pain ; Humans ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Middle Aged ; Nephrolithiasis ; Peritonitis ; Sepsis

Segmental colitis associated with diverticular disease (SCAD) is a colonic inflammatory disorder with localized non-granulomatous inflammation at sigmoid colon, and associated with colonic diverticulosis. SCAD is an apparently uncommon disorder in Western. We experienced a rare case of SCAD in a 46-year-old woman who visited the hospital due to abdominal discomfort. Colonoscopic examination showed multiple sigmoid diverticula in association with a segment length colitis. Colonoscopic biopsies of the sigmoid colon demonstrated cryptitis and crypt abscess along with chronic inflammatory cells infiltration. The biopsies of the rectum was histologically normal. The patient was given the diagnosis of SCAD and treated with oral mesalamine. This is the first case of SCAD reported in Korea.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use ; Colitis/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Colon, Sigmoid/pathology ; Colonoscopy ; Diverticulitis, Colonic/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Mesalamine/therapeutic use ; Middle Aged

This study was done to evaluate prospectively the clinical significance of colonic diverticulosis. In the 1,030 consecutive outpatients undergoing colonoscopy, the information on the demographics, the patterns of bowel symptoms, and the prevalence of colon polyp were analyzed according to the presence of colonic diverticulosis. The mean age of 1,030 patients were 52.2 yr and 59.3% were male. The prevalence of diverticulosis was 19.7% (203/1,030). Of 203 diverticulosis patients 85.2% were in proximal group, 5.4% in distal group and 9.4% in both group. Six (3.0%) patients were found to have diverticulitis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that an old age, diabetes and the presence of polyp were significant factors associated with proximal or both diverticulosis. A significant difference was demonstrated between the patients of distal diverticular group and the controls for the symptom frequency scores within the previous 4 weeks. The items, which showed difference, were hard stool, urgency, flatus, chest discomfort and frequent urination. In conclusion, old age, diabetes and the presence of colon polyp were associated with proximal diverticulosis. The temporal symptoms were more frequent in distal diverticulosis than in proximal diverticulosis in the study subjects.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colonic Diseases/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Colonic Polyps/complications/*diagnosis ; Colonoscopy ; Diabetes Complications/complications/diagnosis ; Diverticulitis/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Diverticulosis, Colonic/complications/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Female ; Flatulence/complications ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: With the gradual changes in the diet, the incidence of colonic diverticular disease, particularly that of the left side colon, has increased rapidly in Korea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of diverticular disease and to compare the differences in treatment between right and left colonic diverticulitis. METHODS: The hospital records of 67 patients with diverticulitis were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The incidence of right side colonic diverticulitis was 2.5 times higher than that of the left side (48 and 19 cases, respectively). The mean age of the patients was 51.3 years with a male to female ratio of 2.1:1. The left side colonic diverticulitis developed at an older age than that of the right side (mean age of 47.2 and 58.7 years, respectively, P= 0.03). Seventeen out of 48 (35.4%) right and 8 out of 19 (42.1%) left colonic diverticulitis patients were treated surgically. The ratio of surgical treatment was not different according to the location of diverticulitis (P=0.61). The age and gender of the patients or leucocytosis at the time of the diagnosis were not associated with the risk of surgical treatment. The presence of fever and high-grade sepsis on the CT scan (Hinchey grade) were significant risk factors for surgery. The symptom duration was longer in the surgically treated group than in the conservative treatment group in left colonic diverticulitis (P=0.03). Most surgical procedures for right colonic diverticulitis were a single-stage colon resection (16 out of 17 cases), whereas staged procedures including Hartmann's operation (3 cases) and proximal diversion (2 cases) with abscess drainage were performed in 5 out of the 8 left colonic cases. Postoperative complications were more frequent in the left colon cases. CONCLUSION: The left colon is a relatively rare site for diverticulitis in Korea. However, diverticulitis of this section of the colon requires more complicated surgical treatment and is associated with a higher rate of complications than that of the right colon. The earlier application of diagnostic work up might be necessary for patients suspected of having left colonic diverticulitis because a delayed diagnosis is associated with a risk of surgical treatment.
Abscess ; Colon* ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnosis ; Diet ; Diverticulitis ; Diverticulitis, Colonic* ; Drainage ; Female ; Fever ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: The planned therapy of right colonic diverticulitis is very difficult because preoperative diagnosis is uncommon and the method of treatment is usually decided at the time of laparotomy. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of right colonic diverticulitis, the clinical distinctions between preoperatively and postoperatively diagnosed patients, the recurrence rate, and the hospital stay by treatment modality. METHODS: Among 104 patients who were treated for right colonic diverticulitis from January 1997 to May 2005, we enrolled 90 patients who had been diagnosed by the operation or a barium enema study (BE), and who had not been lost to follow-up. Patients were divided into three groups based on treatment modality: Group 1 (n=28), conservative management with intravenous antibiotics; Group 2 (n=46), aggressive resection; Group 3 (n=16), appendectomy with intravenous antibiotics. RESULTS: Ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) detected 12 (22.6%) and 21 (87.5%) cases of right colonic diverticulitis, respectively. BE was applied to 45 patients, 28 (62.2%) of them with multiple diverticula. Right colonic diverticulitis was the preoperative diagnosis in 39 patients (43.3%). The length of hospital stay was significantly different between the groups (P<0.001): 4.9+/-3.1 days in Group 1, 7.5+/-3.7 days in Group 2, and 3.8+/-0.9 days in Group 3. Two patients (7.1%) in Group 1, 2 patients (4.3%) in Group 2, and 5 patients (31.3%) in Group 3 had recurrent diverticulitis during the follow-up period (P=0.007). The Kaplan-Meier estimated recurrence rates for Groups 1, 2, and 3 were statistically significantly different (P=0.0086). CONCLUSIONS: To differentiate right colonic diverticulitis from appendicitis, focusing on the peculiar feature in contrast to appendicitis and appropriate utilization of CT are important. If diagnosed preoperatively, uncomplicated right colonic diverticulitis can be managed by conservative management with intravenous antibiotics. If diagnosed intraoperatively, aggressive resection is advocated as the most effective method for decreasing the recurrence rate.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Barium ; Colon* ; Diagnosis* ; Diverticulitis* ; Diverticulitis, Colonic ; Diverticulum ; Enema ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Length of Stay ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography