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Background & Aims: Much of what is known about the effects of alcohol and tobacco use on diverticular disease derives from studies of asymptomatic diverticulosis or complicated diverticulitis. We examined smoking and alcohol consumption and risk of incident diverticulitis in a large cohort of women., Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 84,232 women in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II) who were 39-52 years old and without known diverticulitis at baseline in 2003. Smoking was ascertained every 2 years and alcohol use every 4 years. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: During 1,139,660 person-years of follow up, we identified 3018 incident cases of diverticulitis. After adjustment for other risk factors, current (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.04-1.39) and past smoking (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.11-1.30) were associated with increased risk of diverticulitis when compared with never smokers. Women who consumed ≥30 g/d of alcohol had a multivariate HR of 1.26 (95% CI, 1.05-1.50) when compared with women who did not drink. A joint analysis of smoking and alcohol found that individuals who ever smoked and consumed ≥15 g/d of alcohol were at highest risk of diverticulitis (multivariate HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.16-2.21), compared with participants who never smoked and reported no alcohol use., Conclusions: In this large prospective study of women, smoking and alcohol consumption were associated with an increased risk of incident diverticulitis. These data highlight additional modifiable risk factors for diverticulitis that may aid in prevention., (Copyright © 2024 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recent data based on large databases show that bowel preparation (BP) is associated with improved outcomes in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. However, it remains unclear whether BP in elective colectomies would lead to similar results in patients with diverticulitis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether bowel preparation affected the surgical site infections (SSI) and anastomotic leakage (AL) in patients with diverticulitis undergoing elective colectomies., Study Design: We identified 16,380 diverticulitis patients who underwent elective colectomies from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) colectomy targeted database (2012-2017). Multivariate logistic regression models were employed to investigate the impact of different bowel preparation strategies on postoperative complications, including SSI and AL., Results: In the identified population, a total of 2524 patients (15.4%) received no preparation (NP), 4715 (28.8%) mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) alone, 739 (4.5%) antibiotic bowel preparation (ABP) alone, and 8402 (51.3%) MBP + ABP. Compared to NP, patients who received any type of bowel preparations showed a significantly decreased risk of SSI and AL after adjustment for potential confounders (SSI: MBP [OR = 0.82, 95%CI: 0.70-0.96], ABP [0.69, 95%CI: 0.52-0.92]; AL: MBP [OR = 0.66, 95%CI: 0.51-0.86], ABP [0.56, 95%CI: 0.34-0.93]), where the combination type of MBP + ABP had the strongest effect (SSI:OR = 0.58, 95%CI:0.50-0.67; AL:OR = 0.46, 95%CI:0.36-0.59). The significantly decreased risk of 30-day mortality was observed in the bowel preparation of MBP + ABP only (OR = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.13-0.79). After the further stratification by surgery procedures, patients who received MBP + ABP showed consistently lower risk for both SSI and AL when undergoing open and laparoscopic surgeries (Open: SSI [OR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.37-0.69], AL [OR = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.25-0.91]; Laparoscopic: SSI [OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.47-0.72, AL [OR = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.35-0.68])., Conclusions: MBP + ABP for diverticulitis patients undergoing elective open or laparoscopic colectomies was associated with decreased risk of SSI, AL, and 30-day mortality. Benefits of MBP + ABP for diverticulitis patients underwent robotic surgeries warrant further investigation., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Danish guidelines recommend colonoscopy after a case of acute diverticulitis to exclude colorectal cancer (CRC), but evidence in support this practice is limited. A series of studies has reported a low incidence of CRC in patients after they presented with acute diverticulitis, especially in uncomplicated cases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of CRC after acute diverticulitis detected during colonoscopy., Methods: All patients seen between January 2010 and November 2017 with a first episode of acute diverticulitis and a subsequent computed tomography and colonoscopy were included., Results: A total of 332 patients were included in the study. The incidence of CRC after a case of uncomplicated acute diverticulitis was 0.8%. The incidence of malignancy was 2.8% in the group of patients with complicated diverticulitis., Conclusions: This study showed a low risk of CRC after a case of acute diverticulitis and no cases of CRC in patients with uncomplicated diverticulitis without clinical symptoms of CRC. This indicates that revising guidelines in regards to follow-up after diverticulitis may be warranted., Funding: none., Trial Registration: not relevant., (Articles published in the DMJ are “open access”. This means that the articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.)

Objective: To compare the risk of diverticulitis and gastrointestinal perforation (GIP) in RA treated with tocilizumab (TCZ) compared with rituximab (RTX) and abatacept (ABA)., Methods: We conducted a population-based study using three observational French registries on TCZ, RTX and ABA in RA. Using a propensity score approach, we compared the risk of diverticulitis or GIP in these patients., Results: With inverse probability weighting, there was an increased risk of diverticulitis in TCZ-treated patients compared with RTX- or ABA-treated patients [hazard ratio (HR)=3.1 (95% CI: 1.5, 6.3), P =0.002]. Moreover, patients treated with TCZ had also an increased risk of GIP due to diverticulitis compared with those treated with RTX or ABA [HR=3.8 (1.1-13.6), P =0.04], resulting in an overall increased risk of GIP [HR=2.9 (1.1-7.8), P =0.03], while no significant increased risk of GIP due to any other aetiology was found in TCZ treated patients. Diverticulitis and GIP occurred earlier with TCZ than other drugs after the last perfusion (P =0.01), with atypical clinical presentation (slow transit in 30%, P =0.04) and lower acute-phase reactants at the time of the event (P =0.005)., Conclusion: TCZ for RA was associated with increased odds of diverticulitis as well as GIP due to diverticulitis as compared with RTX and ABA. Our study confirms the increased odds of GIP in patients receiving TCZ, which might be explained by an increased risk of diverticulitis with misleading clinical presentation., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Diverticulitis is an acute inflammatory process that affects individuals with diverticular disease. Given the sharp increase in the diagnostic rate of such a pathological process, there was also an increased interest in elucidating the possible causes related to the development of this clinical condition. Among the main factors investigated, diet excels, the object of study of this integrative literature review., Methods: After searching the virtual health library and PubMed databases, five prospective cohort studies were selected that best answered the guiding question: "Is there a relationship between diet and the incidence of diverticulitis?"., Results: It was observed that the high intake of red meat and the low intake of dietary fiber were the most strongly associated dietary factors with the incidence of this inflammatory process., Conclusion: Therefore, it is evident that choosing healthy eating habits can considerably reduce the incidence of diverticulitis and, consequently, potentially more serious complications directly related to it.

Diverticulitis and hemorrhoidal proctitis in the population are significant public health problems. We studied the potential association between the intake of certain plant foods and diverticulitis or hemorrhoidal episodes through a case-control study including 410 cases and 401 controls. We used a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. The intake was additionally quantified according to a 24 h recall. The plant foods or derived food products were categorized by their main chemical components into ethanol, caffeine/theine/theobromine, capsaicin, alliin, acids, eugenol, and miscellaneous foods such as curcumin. The mean score for overall intake of plant foods under consideration was 6.3 points, and this was significantly higher in cases (8.5) than in controls (4.1). Overall intake was similar in cases presenting with diverticulitis or hemorrhoidal proctitis. Cases had 13 times the odds of being in the upper quartile for overall intake (>7 points), compared to controls. Explanatory logistic regression models showed that the strongest association with diverticulitis and hemorrhoidal proctitis was shown by the chemical food group of capsaicin, followed by ethanol, eugenol, caffeine/theine/theobromine, and acids. Neither alliin nor miscellaneous food groups showed any association. High, frequent consumption of capsaicin, followed by ethanol, eugenol, caffeine/theine/theobromine, and acids increase the risk of diverticulitis and hemorrhoidal proctitis.

Recent evidence showed that dietary habits play a role as risk factors for the development of diverticular complications. This systematic review aims to assess the effect of dietary habits in the prevention of diverticula complications (i.e., acute diverticulitis and diverticula bleeding) in patients with diverticula disease. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched up to 19 January 2021, 330 records were identified, and 8 articles met the eligibility criteria and were subjected to data extraction. The quality of the studies was evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment form. No study meets the criteria for being a high-quality study. A high intake of fiber was associated to a decreased risk of diverticulitis or hospitalization due to diverticular disease, with a protective effect for fruits and cereal fiber, but not for vegetable fiber; whereas, a high red meat consumption and a generally Western dietary pattern were associated with an increased risk of diverticulitis. Alcohol use seemed to be associated to diverticular bleeding, but not to recurrent diverticulitis or diverticular complications. Further high-quality studies are needed to better define these associations. It is mandatory to ascertain the role of dietary habits for the development of recurrent acute diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding.

Meckel diverticulum is the most common and well-known congenital anomaly of the digestive system. Although most cases are asymptomatic, Meckel diverticulum can have a variety of complications, including gastrointestinal bleeding as a result of peptic ulceration, diverticulitis, and small bowel obstruction. Although the radiologic findings of these complications have been reported, they are difficult to diagnose preoperatively because Meckel diverticulum is a small entity. Computed tomography and scintigraphy play an important role in the diagnosis of Meckel diverticulum and its complications. It is important to be familiar with the radiologic features of acute abdomen due to complications of Meckel diverticulum to be able to manage the condition appropriately.

In this session several critical issues in diverticular disease were considered, including "It is Symptomatic Diverticular Disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrome?", "What do determine evolution to diverticulitis, bowel habits alteration or inflammation?", and "Prevention of acute diverticulitis: Is it at all possible?". The first talking compared symptoms and laboratory findings between Symptomatic Uncomplicated Diverticular Disease  (SUDD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Although both disease share some symptoms, and although IBS can occur in patients having diverticulosis,  SUDD and IBS can be differentiate using a combination of symptoms and laboratory tools. The second talking debated what are the most important risk factors for the evolution towards acute diverticulitis. Current data seem to exclude a significant role of bowel habits alteration, while inflammation seems to have a stronger role, especially in causing acute diverticulitis recurrence. The third talking analyzed about the acute diverticulitis prevention. Primary prevention seem to be little better when using mesalazine, while no definite conclusion can be drawn about the use of fiber and rifaximin. About the secondary prevention, no drugs can be currently advised due to lacking of definite results. At the same time, surgery should be advised on case-by-case basis.

Complicated Meckel's diverticulum represents a common etiology of acute abdomen in children. However, this condition is less frequent in adults. We reviewed the records of adult patients who underwent the surgical removal of complicated Meckel's diverticulum between 2001 and 2017 at 2 tertiary French medical centers. We then analyzed the clinical characteristics, mode of presentation, and management for all patients.The Meckel's diverticulum was resected in 37 patients (24 males and 13 females). The mean patient age was 46.1 ± 21.4 years. The most common clinical presentations of complicated Meckel's diverticulum were diverticulitis (35.1%, n = 13), small-bowel obstruction (35.1%, n = 13), and gastrointestinal bleeding (29.8%, n = 11) (anemia, n = 1; hematochezia, n = 10). Age distribution was significantly different (P = .02) according to the 3 Meckel's diverticulum complications: patients with diverticulitis (P = .02) were statistically more frequently over 40 (P = .05), significantly older than patients with gastrointestinal bleeding who were more frequently <40 (P = .05). There was a preoperative diagnosis available for 15 of the 37 patients (40%). An exploratory laparoscopy was necessary to determine the cause of disease for the other 22 patients (60%). An intestinal resection was performed in 33 patients (89%) and diverticulectomy was performed in 4 patients (11%). There was heterotopic tissue found in only 6 patients (16%). Postoperative complications were as follows: 1 death by cardiac failure in a 92-year-old patient and 2 patients with postoperative wound infections. The follow-up time was 3 to 12 months.The correct diagnosis of complicated Meckel's diverticulum in adults is difficult due to the lack of specific clinical presentation. As a result, exploratory laparoscopy appears to play a central role in cases of acute abdomen with uncertain diagnosis.

Objective: To understand why the population-based incidence of diverticulitis has increased over time, we studied temporal changes in age, body mass index (BMI), and diverticulitis in Olmsted County, Minnesota., Participants and Methods: We compared the BMIs of 2967 patients with diverticulitis and 9795 people without diverticulitis from January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2007. Because BMI is a surrogate for adipose tissue, computed tomographic estimations of abdominal fat content were compared between 381 diverticulitis cases and 381 age- and sex-matched controls., Results: Between 1980 and 2007, the prevalence of obesity increased from 12% to 49% in the population and from 19% to 40% in patients with diverticulitis (P<.001 for both). Temporal trends in age, BMI, and the increased incidence of diverticulitis in people with normal BMI accounted for 48%, 47%, and 20%, respectively, of corresponding trends in diverticulitis. The secular decline in the proportion of people with normal BMI was partly offset by an increased incidence of diverticulitis in such people. In the case-control study, BMI was greater in cases than in controls (P=.001). However, after incorporating abdominal visceral (odds ratio [OR], 2.4; 95% CI, 1.6-3.7) and subcutaneous (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7-5.2) fat content (both associated with diverticulitis), BMI was associated with lower risk (OR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7-0.8) of diverticulitis., Conclusion: Aging, increasing obesity, and the increased incidence of diverticulitis in people with normal BMI account for the temporal increase in diverticulitis. Rather than BMI per se, increased abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat are independently associated with diverticulitis. The incidence of diverticulitis, which is among the most common gastrointestinal diagnoses in hospitalized patients, has increased markedly since 2000. This study suggests that aging, increasing obesity, and the increased incidence of diverticulitis in people with normal BMI account for the temporal increase in diverticulitis., (Copyright © 2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND Ingested foreign bodies (IFBs) are usually asymptomatic and are excreted uneventfully. IFBs become a major concern in elderly patients due to the increase number of diverticuloses where the foreign body can lodge and cause severe complications. CASE REPORT We report a case of an elderly patient who ingested a chicken bone that caused recurrent diverticulitis. CONCLUSIONS The diagnosis of complicated IFB cases is challenging, requires physician clinical expertise, and must be considered in individuals at risk.

Meckel diverticulum is the most prevalent congenital abnormality of the gastrointestinal tract in children. The aim of this study was to review and analyze clinical data on the diagnosis and management of Meckel diverticulum in pediatric patients. The records of 102 pediatric patients (<14 years old) who underwent surgery for Meckel diverticulum at our institute between 2001 and 2015 were reviewed. Clinical, imaging, laboratory, surgical, and pathological data were recorded. The series comprised 65 males and 37 females with a median age of 5.6 years. Lower gastrointestinal bleeding was the most frequently identified clinical manifestation of Meckel diverticulum, and this manifestation was observed in 41 patients. Intussusception secondary to Meckel diverticulum was identified in 32 patients. Twelve patients presented clinical features of peritonitis; of these patients, 8 had perforated Meckel diverticulum and 4 had Meckel diverticulitis. In 10 patients, Meckel diverticulum was incidentally diagnosed during other surgeries, including appendectomy and neonatal enterostomy. Seven patients were diagnosed with intestinal obstruction. Technetium-99m pertechnetate imaging offered high diagnostic yield. Open surgery was performed on 59 patients, while a laparoscopic approach was employed in 35 patients. The remaining 8 patients did not undergo resection of the Meckel diverticulum. Histology revealed ectopic gastric mucosa in 42 patients (44.7%), ectopic pancreatic tissue in 35 patients (37.2%), mucosa of the small intestine in 15 patients (16.0%), and both gastric and pancreatic ectopic tissue in 2 patients (2.1%). All patients recovered uneventfully except 2 patients in whom an intestinal adhesion obstruction was identified after discharge. Meckel diverticulum had various clinical manifestations in children. Technetium-99m pertechnetate imaging may be useful for diagnosing Meckel diverticulum. Surgical excision of the Meckel diverticulum may be safe and effective in symptomatic patients, and relatively better outcomes can be achieved using this approach.

Appendiceal diverticulosis is a rare condition with a frequency of 0.004% to 2.1%, and is sometimes an occasional finding during anatomopathologic study of the surgical specimen. It may be presented acutely as a right lower quadrant pain, similar to acute appendicitis for which differential diagnosis must be carried out, and it is associated with appendicular tumors. We report a case of diverticulitis of the appendix as debut of appendicular cystadenoma and carcinoid tumor with representative iconography, being unusual the association of both diseases and even more its preoperative diagnosis.

Diverticular disease is frequent amongst the elderly and immunosuppressed patients. It mainly presents as sigmoid diverticulitis, but severe complications, like bleedings, infections and colon perforation may occur, frequently due to immunosuppressive therapy. Moreover, antibiotherapy and hemostatics may not efficiently control evolution in such cases. Early diagnose and adequate treatment of colonic diverticulosis complicated with lower gastrointestinal bleeding and diverticulitis in immunocompromised patients. We report a 55-year-old patient who underwent de novo renal transplantation one year ago and recently developed a severe diverticular bleeding complicated by hemorrhagic shock. Colonoscopic examination revealed diverticular disease with diverticulitis and severe, diffuse bleeding, mainly in the descending colon. Due to his immunocompromised status and unfavorable evolution under hemostatics, recombinant coagulation factor VIIa (rFVIIa) was given to avoid surgery. The bleeding stopped after two doses of rFVIIa. Unfortunately, after three weeks, lower quadrant pain, tenderness, abdominal distention, and fever occurred, in spite of immunosuppressive drug changing and adequate conservative therapy. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealed complicated diverticulitis, so patient underwent surgery, with partial colectomy, followed by total recovery. In conclusion, diverticulosis coli complicated with lower gastrointestinal bleeding and diverticulitis in immunocompromised patients was for us a challenging diagnosis, as well as a therapeutic issue. Treatment options, usually based on our local resources and expertise, considered conservatory therapy as the first choice, keeping surgical maneuvers just as a rescue solution.

A 47-year-old woman presented to a tertiary emergency department with an 8-day history of odynophagia, a 4 cm swelling on her left neck and intermittent fevers. Shortly following her birth, a congenital oesophageal atresia had been managed surgically with colonic interposition graft. Contrast CT of the neck demonstrated several large diverticula within her interposition graft at the level of the cervical vertebrae. A colocutaneous fistula was identified between the colon and left neck, with an associated abscess. The patient received intravenous meropenem followed by abscess drainage. A high output fistula developed at the drainage site, and the patient required intravenous fluids and stoma placement to manage fluid discharge. She left the hospital after a 17-day stay. At 6-month follow-up, the wound was erythematous, but the patient was otherwise well. We believe that this is the first reported case of diverticular disease arising in what was originally neonatal colon interposed for oesophageal atresia at birth., (2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

An appendiceal neurofibroma (ANF) is a rare neoplasm associated with neurofibromatosis type 1(NF-1), an inheritable neurocutaneous disorder that involves multiple systems including the intraabdominal organs. Appendiceal diverticulitis occasionally ruptures in the absence of intense abdominal pain, which can lead to serious consequences. Recent reports highlight the association between appendiceal diverticulum and appendiceal neoplasms; however, there is still little information on the association between appendiceal diverticulitis and ANF in NF-1. A 51-year-old Japanese male with NF-1 was referred to the division of surgery for mild right lower quadrant pain. It was suspected he had perforated acute appendicitis with periappendiceal abscess based on clinical manifestations and findings of computed tomography. An emergency appendectomy was conducted. The pathological examination revealed diffusely proliferated tumor cells of a neurofibroma, coexistent with multiple appendiceal diverticulums, leading to the diagnosis of perforated appendiceal diverticulitis associated with ANF. Although he developed a remnant abscess, he recovered with the conservative treatments of antibiotics and drainage. This case suggests that appendiceal diverticulitis might be a complication of appendiceal involvement of NF-1, and that it occasionally ruptures in the absence of intense abdominal pain. Clinicians should recognize that NF-1 can cause various abdominal manifestations.

Background: Our objective was to analyze demographics and characteristics of Meckel's diverticulum with different manifestations in pediatric patients., Methods: This is a retrospective study in children with symptomatic Meckel's diverticulum who underwent resection between September 1998 and October 2010. The diagnosis was confirmed by surgery and pathology. Demographic characteristics, manifestations, Meckel's scan results, surgical and histological findings were analyzed., Results: One hundred symptomatic Meckel's diverticula were identified in 74 boys and 26 girls aged from one day to 18 years old over 13 years. Depending on whether or not obstruction occurred, the patients were classified into two categories. Each category was further subdivided into two diagnostic groups: 17 intussusception and 24 non-intussusception bowel obstruction in the obstructive category and 44 gastrointestinal bleeding and 15 diverticulitis and/or perforation in the non-obstructive category. The sex discrepancy was higher in the non-obstructive category than in the obstructive category (male-to-female, 4.36 vs. 1.73, p < 0.05). Forty-one of 44 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding underwent a Meckel's scan with a high positive rate (92.7%). The ectopic tissues were identified in 73 patients and included 61 gastric type, two pancreatic type and 10 mixed type. Ectopic tissues were more prevalent in non-obstructive category (p < 0.05) with ectopic gastric tissue even more pronounced (p < 0.01). Ectopic pancreatic tissue was significantly more prevalent in intussusception (p < 0.01). Laparoscopic surgery was performed more frequently in Meckel's diverticulum with non-obstructive symptoms (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Diverse presentations in pediatric Meckel's diverticulum are affected by different ectopic tissue types and male sex. Laparoscopic surgery is widely used for children with non-obstructive symptoms., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with dysphagia shortly after the onset of a brainstem infarction. Videofluorography indicated the presence of a Zenker's diverticulum with a bolus at the esophageal orifice; endoscopy 5 years earlier had not shown a Zenker's diverticulum and suggests that the diverticulum had formed because of an increase in the hypopharyngeal pressure caused by the brainstem infarction. Surgical excision successfully facilitated transport of the bolus to the esophageal orifice. In the present report, we describe a case of dysphagia caused by a Zenker's diverticulum following and associated with a brain infarction.

The involvement of the gut by Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is very rare in adults; however this is usually observed with a disseminated disease in children. We report a 75-year-old male patient who underwent right hemicolectomy for a complicated intestinal diverticular disease. The surgical specimen revealed LCH-like proliferative lesion associated with diverticulitis. The overall morphological and immunohistochemical findings are indistinguishable from LCH. Systemic scans and subsequently performed bone marrow biopsies were free of disease. Although the HUMARA clonality assay cannot be assessed, the lack of evidence of LCH progression or disease elsewhere in the whole body strongly supported the possibility of an atypical reactive phenomenon probably due to the underlying intestinal diverticular disease. Therefore, it is important to avoid diagnosing such a unifocal Langerhans cell proliferation as LCH in patients with underlying pathologies in the absence of systemic involvement. Therefore, without knowledge of clonal status of a unifocal Langerhans cell proliferation, we recommend using the terminology of LCH-like lesion.

Different symptoms have been attributed to uncomplicated diverticular disease (DD). Poor absorbable antibiotics are largely used for uncomplicated DD, mainly for symptom treatment and prevention of diverticulitis onset. Controlled trials on cyclic administration of rifaximin in DD patients were evaluated. Four controlled, including 1 double-blind and 3 open-label, randomized studies were available. Following a long-term cyclic therapy, a significant difference emerged in the global symptoms score (range: 0-18) between rifaximin plus fibers (from 6-6.5 to 1-2) and fibers alone (from 6.7 to 2-3.8), although the actual clinically relevance of such a very small difference remains to be ascertained. Moreover, a similar global symptom score reduction (from 6 to 2.4) can be achieved by simply recommending an inexpensive high-fiber diet. Current data suggest that cyclic rifaximin plus fibers significantly reduce the incidence of the first episode of acute diverticulitis as compared to fibers alone (1.03% vs 2.75%), but a cost-efficacy analysis is needed before this treatment can be routinely recommended. The available studies have been hampered by some limitations, and definite conclusions could not be drawn. The cost of a long-life, cyclic rifaximin therapy administered to all symptomatic DD patients would appear prohibitive.

Meckel's diverticulum is the most prevalent abnormality of the gastrointestinal tract seen in approximately 2% of the population. Diagnosing complicated diverticulum is difficult, for its capacity to mime multiple disorders such as appendicitis, ulcer disease, enterocolitis, Chron disease, sigmoid diverticulitis, cholecystitis, and it should be considered in all patients with unexplained chronic abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, unexpected cause of intestinal obstruction or acute abdomen. Herewith we provide an illustrative presentation, emphasizing the difficulties in preoperative diagnosis of complicated Meckel's diverticulum and underlining the nonspecific nature of the subjective and objective findings. Both cases were admitted to our clinic with acute abdomen diagnoses--first case as a intestinal obstruction and in second case was acute appendicitis. Laparatomy ascertain that the cause of symptoms was the complicated Meckel's diverticulum.

Purpose: In 1995, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study published an isolated report of lower diverticular disease risk in physically active men, particularly among those who ran. The purpose of this article was to assess whether this finding can be verified among older men and women of the National Runners' Health Study., Methods: Survival analyses were applied to incident disease occurring during 7.7 yr of follow-up in 9072 men and 1664 women, representing 84% follow-up of the original >or=50-yr-old cohort. In addition to the usual running distance (km x d(-1)), 80% of the baseline respondents included 10-km footrace performance times (a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness). Results were adjusted for age, sex, and reported intakes of meat, fish, fruit, and alcohol., Results: A total of 127 men and 21 women reported clinically diagnosed diverticular disease since baseline. The risk for incident diverticular disease decreased 6.2% per km x d(-1) run (P = 0.04). Relative to men and women who ran 8 km x d(-1) had 48% lower risk (P = 0.05). Each meter-per-second increment in the 10-km performance was associated with a 68% risk reduction (P = 0.04). Men and women who ran >4 m x s(-1) had 70% lower risk for diverticular disease than those who ran

Background & Aims: Studies of obesity and diverticular complications are limited. We assessed the relationship between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio and diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding., Methods: A prospective cohort study of 47,228 male health professionals (40-75 years old) who were free of diverticular disease in 1986 (baseline) was performed. Men reporting newly diagnosed diverticular disease on biennial follow-up questionnaires were sent supplemental questionnaires. Weight was recorded every 2 years, and data on waist and hip circumferences were collected in 1987., Results: We documented 801 incident cases of diverticulitis and 383 incident cases of diverticular bleeding during 18 years of follow-up. After adjustment for other risk factors, men with a BMI >or= 30 kg/m(2) had a relative risk (RR) of 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.94) for diverticulitis and 3.19 (95% CI, 1.45-7.00) for diverticular bleeding compared with men with a BMI of <21 kg/m(2). Men in the highest quintile of waist circumference, compared with those in the lowest, had a multivariable RR of 1.56 (95% CI, 1.18-2.07) for diverticulitis and 1.96 (95% CI, 1.30-2.97) for diverticular bleeding. Waist-to-hip ratio was also associated with the risk of diverticular complications when the highest and lowest quintiles were compared, with a multivariable RR of 1.62 (95% CI, 1.23-2.14) for diverticulitis and 1.91 (95% CI, 1.26-2.90) for diverticular bleeding. Adjustment for BMI did not change the associations seen for waist-to-hip ratio., Conclusions: In this large prospective cohort, BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio significantly increased the risks of diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding.

Context: Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of any gastrointestinal segment from the esophagus to the rectum, most commonly, the stomach and the duodenum. Clinical manifestations range from non-specific gastrointestinal complaints to more specific symptoms such as protein-losing enteropathy, malabsorption, luminal obstruction and eosinophilic ascites., Case Report: We report the case of a 35-year-old woman with recurrent gastric outlet obstruction due to eosinophilic infiltration of the stomach and the duodenum. There was a history of two episodes of acute pancreatitis as well as eosinophilia of bone marrow and ascites., Conclusions: Although unusual, eosinophilic gastroenteritis may be complicated by symptomatic acute pancreatitis. Seven previous cases have been reported in the literature, and a comparison was made. The pancreatitis is probably due to duct obstruction, but some cases of eosinophilic gastroenteritis have pancreatic tissue eosinophilia. Most cases respond to medical treatment, and surgery is usually unnecessary.

Background: This study was conducted with an objective to observe various presentations of Meckel's Diverticulum in our setting and compare it with other national and international studies., Methods: It was a retrospective analysis of hospital record carried out at the department of paediatric surgery Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. A total of 63 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study who had presented to our unit with signs and symptoms of Meckel's Diverticulum and who were diagnosed either by investigations or at surgery. All the patients were explored and resection and anastomosis performed. We did not do H. Pylori culture. Patients with bleeding per rectum were investigated by Meckel's scan. Analysis of the results was done by SPSS version 10., Results: Majority of our patients presented with obstruction (82.5%) in contrast to the Western studies (around 40%) while only 4.7% presented with bleeding per rectum again in contrast to the Western countries (38.56%)., Conclusion: There appears to be a geographical and/or racial difference in the presentation of Meckel's diverticulum.

Objective: To review recent evidence on dietary factors associated with diverticular disease (DD) with special emphasis on dietary fibre., Quality of Evidence: MEDLINE was searched from January 1966 to December 2001 for articles on the relationship between dietary and other lifestyle factors and DD. Most articles either focused on dietary intervention in treating symptomatic DD or were case-control studies with inherent limitations for studying diet-disease associations. Only one large prospective study of male health professionals in the United States assessed diet at baseline and before initial diagnosis of DD., Main Message: A diet high in fibre mainly from fruits and vegetables and low in total fat and red meat decreases risk of DD. Evidence indicates that the insoluble component of fibre is strongly associated with lower risk of DD; this association was particularly strong for cellulose. Caffeine and alcohol do not substantially increase risk of DD, nor does obesity, but higher levels of physical activity seem to reduce risk of DD., Conclusion: A diet high in fibre and low in total fat and red meat and a lifestyle with more physical activity might help prevent DD.

Background: Abdominal complications are recognized as a common complication of solid organ transplantation. These complications can range from gastritis with minor morbidity to viscus perforation and death. This study addresses specifically colonic complications in lung transplant patients to highlight their high incidence and significant morbidity and mortality in this population., Methods: Data was obtained from a prospectively gathered database on 210 patients who underwent isolated lung transplantation between February 1, 1990, and July 10, 2000 at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Chronic diarrhea without a specific colonic lesion and infectious diarrheas except for CMV disease was excluded from the analysis., Results: Twenty-seven of the 210 transplant recipients (13 percent) developed a colonic complication. The sex distribution of complications was 14 males and 13 females. The colonic complications noted were diverticulitis (9), CMV colitis (5), colon cancer/precancerous polyps (4), post transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (4), megacolon (4), colon rupture (2). One patient had concurrent CMV colitis and diverticulitis. Documented perforations occurred in seven patients and surgical resection was required in 11 patients. Of the 27 patients, 10 died and nine of the deaths were directly attributable to the colonic complication., Conclusions: Colonic complications are common post lung transplant and result in excessive morbidity and mortality in this population. Strategies to reduce this risk should be put in place in lung transplant centers.

Diverticulosis is a common colonic disorder and often is found incidentally on colonic endoscopy and contrast enema radiographs. Theories relating to the etiology of the pathologic processes are commonly quoted, although the actual anatomic features are rarely seen during colonoscopic examinations. Here we show classic illustrations that support the widely held theories regarding the etiologies of diverticular diseases.

Objective: The authors determined whether Meckel's diverticulum, discovered incidentally at operation, should be removed., Summary Background Data: It is not clear from the medical literature whether the risk of an incidental Meckel's diverticulectomy is greater than the risk of leaving the diverticulum in place., Methods: The authors used the medical experience of Olmsted County, Minnesota residents for the period 1950 to 1992 to answer the question., Results: During the period, 58 residents developed Meckel's complications that required diverticulectomies. The incidence of complications was 87 per 100,000 person-years, and the lifetime risk (to 80 years of age) of developing them was 6.4%. The risks were similar throughout the period and at all ages of life, but were greater among men (124 per 100,000 person-years) than women (50 per 100,000 person-years, p < 0.05). Diverticulectomies for complications carried an operative mortality and morbidity of 2% and 12% and a cumulative risk of long-term postoperative complications of 7%, whereas incidental diverticulectomies done in 87 residents during the period carried corresponding rates of only 1%, 2%, and 2%, respectively., Conclusions: Meckel's diverticula discovered incidentally at operation should be removed for most patients, regardless of age.