1. Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis) Slideshow Pictures
2. Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures
3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Diverticulosis and diverticulitis facts
• What is diverticulosis?
• What is diverticulitis?
• What are diverticulitis symptoms?
• What causes diverticula and how do diverticula form?
• What are the more serious complications of diverticulitis?
• How are the diagnosis of diverticulitis and diverticulosis made?
• What is the treatment for diverticulitis and diverticulosis?
• Medical treatment of diverticulitis and diverticulosis
• Surgical treatment for diverticulitis
• What can be done to prevent diverticulitis and diverticulosis?
• Pictures of Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis) - Slideshow
• Patient Comments: Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis) - Attack Symptoms
• Patient Comments: Diverticulitis - Treatment
• Patient Comments: Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis) - Causes
• Find a local Gastroenterologist in your town
• Diverticulosis Index

Most patients with diverticulosis have few or no symptoms. The diverticulosis in these individuals is found incidentally during tests for other intestinal problems. Twenty percent of patients with diverticulosis will develop symptoms related to diverticulosis, primarily diverticulitis.

The most common signs and symptoms of diverticulitis include:

• Abdominal pain (left lower abdomen)
• Abdominal tenderness (left lower abdomen)
• Fever
• Constipation or, sometimes, diarrhea.

The muscular wall of the colon grows thicker with age, although the cause of this thickening is unclear. It may reflect the increasing pressures required by the colon to eliminate feces. For example, a diet low in fiber can lead to small, hard stools which are difficult to pass and which require increased pressure to pass. The lack of fiber and small stools also may allow segments of the colon to close off from the rest of the colon when the colonic muscle in the segment contracts. The pressure in these closed-off segments may become high since the increased pressure cannot dissipate to the rest of the colon. Over time, high pressures in the colon push the inner intestinal lining outward (herniation) through weak areas in the muscular walls. These pouches or sacs that develop are called diverticula.

Lack of fiber in the diet is considered the most likely cause of diverticula, and there is a good correlation among societies around the world between the amount of fiber in the diet and the prevalence of diverticula. Many patients with diverticular disease have excessive thickening of the muscular wall of the colon where the diverticula form. The muscle also contracts more strongly. These abnormalities of the muscle may be contributing factors in the formation of diverticula. Microscopic examination of the edges of the diverticula show signs of inflammation, and it has been suggested that there may be an inflammatory component to the formation of the diverticula.