Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis) Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Information at MedicineNet.com

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Diverticulitis
(Diverticulosis)

Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis) Slideshow

Medical Author: Jay W. Marks, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Diverticular Disease: Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis)

Usual Symptoms of Diverticular Disease

Abdominal cramping
Constipation
Diarrhea
Pelvic abscess
Colon obstruction
Abdominal infection
Bleeding colon

What is diverticulitis?

Diverticulitis is a condition in which diverticuli in the colon rupture. The rupture results in infection in the tissues that surround the colon.

What is diverticulosis?

The colon (large intestine) is a long tube-like structure that stores and then eliminates waste material. Pressure within the colon causes bulging pockets of tissue (sacs) that push out from the colonic walls as a person ages. A small bulging sac pushing outward from the colon wall is called a diverticulum. More than one bulging sac is referred to as diverticula. Diverticula can occur throughout the colon but are most common near the end of the left colon called the sigmoid colon. The condition of having these diverticula in the colon is called diverticulosis.

A patient with diverticulosis may have few or no symptoms. When a diverticulum ruptures and becomes infected, the condition is called diverticulitis. A patient suffering from diverticulitis will have abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness, and fever. When bleeding originates from a diverticulum, it is called diverticular bleeding. A patient who suffers the consequences of diverticulosis in the colon is referred to as having diverticular disease.

Diverticular disease is common in the Western world but is extremely rare in areas such as Asia and Africa. Diverticular disease increases with age. It is uncommon before the age of forty, and is seen in more than fifty percent of people over the age of sixty in the United States. Whereas most patients with diverticular disease have no or few symptoms, some patients will develop bleeding, rupture and infection (diverticulitis), constipation, abdominal cramps, and even colonic obstruction.

Picture of Diverticular Disease

Next: How do diverticula form? »

Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis) - Symptoms at Onset of Disease

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

The symptoms of diverticulitis (diverticulosis) can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?

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