Diverticular Disease Of Colon Research Articles

Case Report: A 31-Year-Old Man with Relapsing Complicated Diverticulitis after Initial Conservative Treatment

BACKGROUND: There is controversy regarding the surgical approach for severe complications of diverticular disease. The classical approach has been a Hartmann’s procedure, but laparoscopic lavage and drainage has been suggested as an alternative. We present a patient who initially responded to conservative management of complicated diverticulitis, but had a recurrence that was managed surgically. CASE PRESENTATION: A 31-year-old man presented with Hinchey Stage I diverticulitis and was discharged from the hospital after medical management. Six days later, he returned to the hospital with radiographic evidence of a pericolonic abscess. The patient was taken to the operating room for laparoscopic drainage with placement of a drain in the abscess cavity. He required reoperation with sigmoid colon resection, primary anastomosis, and diverting ileostomy. DISCUSSION: Despite requiring reoperation, the authors believe that initial conservative management possibly prevented progression to generalized feculent peritonitis. If this had occurred, the patient may have required Hartmann’s procedure, which is associated with more complications than primary anastomosis with protective ileostomy. CONCLUSION: The patient had recurrence of complicated diverticular disease that was initially managed conservatively and then with laparoscopic drainage, followed by primary anastomosis with protective ileostomy. Given individual patient factors, the authors believe that he was managed optimally. There is currently controversy between the use of laparoscopic lavage and drainage versus Hartmann’s procedure for the management of complicated colonic diverticular disease and more investigation is required on the subject.

Social Determinants of Health in Diverticulitis: A Systematic Review.

There is growing interest in social determinants of health for surgical populations. Within diverticulitis, no systematic collation of available evidence has been performed. To assess frequency, variety, and association directions for social determinants of health in colonic diverticular disease. Four electronic databases were queried: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science. Included studies reported symptomatic left-sided colonic diverticular disease with respect to a social determinant of health according to the Healthy People 2030 initiative or applicable proxy variable. Studies with non-English full text, cohort size fewer than 50, pediatric cohorts, and exclusively non-left sided disease were excluded. Quality assessment through modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale, frequency of variables reported, and effect size trends for common comparisons. Among 50 included studies, 40 were good and 10 were fair in quality. Social determinants of health in diverticulitis were identified across Economic Stability, Education Access and Quality, Health Care Access and Quality, Neighborhood and Built Environment, and Social and Community Context domains. The two most common variables were self-reported race and ethnicity (n = 33) and insurance (n = 22). Among 18 unique studies reporting comparisons of white versus any other self-reported race and ethnicity, twelve identified a disparity disadvantaging non-white groups with effect sizes (95% confidence interval ranging from 1.23 [1.10 -1.37] to 5.35 [1.32 - 21.61]). Among 15 unique studies reporting a non-private versus private insurance comparison, nine identified non-private insurance as a risk factor with effect sizes (95% confidence intervals ranging from 1.15 [1.02 - 1.29] to 3.83 [3.01 - 4.87]). Retrospective studies, heterogeneity across cohort and variable definitions. Social determinants of health domains are associated with a variety of diverticulitis outcomes. Additional studies are needed to address infrequently reported domains and identify optimal strategies for intervening in clinical settings. CRD42023422606.

Nonoperative management of acute complicated diverticulitis with pericolic and/or distant extraluminal air: A systematic review.

Colonic Diverticular Disease (CDD) is a multifactorial inflammatory disease. Acute diverticulitis (AD), with extraluminal free air (both pericolic and distant), represents about 15% of radiological scenarios and remains a therapeutic challenge for surgeons. Currently, the WSES guidelines suggest trying a conservative strategy both in the presence of pericolic and distant free extraluminal air, even if both have respectively weak recommendation based on low/very low-quality evidence. We performed a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases were used to identify articles of interest. A total of 2380 patients with AD and extraluminal free air (both pericolic and distant) who underwent nonoperative management (NOM) were analyzed. Of the 2380 patients, 2095(88%) were successfully treated with NOM, while 285 (12%) patients failed. A total of 1574 (93.1%) patients with pericolic extraluminal free air had a successful NOM with 6.9% (117) failure rates, while 135 (71.1%) patients with distant extraluminal free air had a successful NOM with 28.9% (55) failure rates. Regarding distant recurrence, we recorded a rate of 18.3% (261/1430), while a rate of 11.3% (167/1472) was recorded for patients undergoing elective surgery. NOM for patients with AD and extraluminal free air (both pericolic and distant) seems to be feasible and safe despite a higher failure rate in the distant subgroup, which remains the most challenging clinical scenario to deal with through conservative treatment.

Evaluating frailty using themodified frailty index for colonic diverticulardisease surgery: analysis of the national inpatient sample 2015-2019.

Frailty has been associated with increased postoperative mortality and morbidity; however, the use of themodified frailty index (mFI-11) to assess patients undergoing surgery for diverticular disease has not been widely assessed. This paper aims to examine frailty, evaluated by mFI-11, to assess postoperative morbidity and mortality among patients undergoing operative intervention for colonic diverticular disease. We used data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample (October 1, 2015-December 31, 2019). ICD-10-CM codes were utilized to identify a cohort of adult patients with a primary admission diagnosis of diverticulitis. mFI-11 items were adapted to correspond with ICD-10-CM codes. Patients were stratified into robust (mFI < 0.27) and frail (mFI ≥ 0.27) groups. Primary outcomes were in-hospital postoperative morbidity and mortality. Secondary outcomes included system-specific postoperative complications, length of stay (LOS), total admission cost, and discharge disposition. Multivariable regression models were fit. Of the 26,826 patients, there were 24,194 patients with mFI-11 < 0.27 (i.e., robust) and 2,632 patients with mFI-11 ≥ 0.27 (i.e., frail). Adjusted analysis showed significant increases in postoperative mortality (aOR 2.16, 95% CI 1.38-3.38, p = 0.001) and overall postoperative morbidity (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.65-2.06, p < 0.001). LOS was higher in the frail group (MD 1.78days, 95% CI 1.46-2.11, p < 0.001) as well as total cost (MD $25,495.19, 95% CI $19,851.63-$31,138.75, p < 0.001). In the elective setting, a high mFI-11 (i.e., presence of the variables comprising the index) could alert clinicians to the possibility of implementing preoperative optimization strategies. In the emergent setting, a high mFI-11 may help guide prognostication for these vulnerable patients.

ОПЫТ ЛЕЧЕНИЯ ПАЦИЕНТОВ СО СВИЩАМИ ОБОДОЧНОЙ КИШКИ ДИВЕРТИКУЛЯРНОГО ПРОИСХОЖДЕНИЯ

Abstract. Introduction. In the 21st century, a massive increase was noted in the incidence of diverticular disease (DD) by more than 10 times with an increase in the frequency of its complications ranging from 5 to 25%. According to the literature, the colon fistulation frequency is 5-30%, over a half of such formations being colovesical fistulas. The problem of surgical approaches to the purulent-inflammatory complications of DD is far from being resolved. Despite the fact that diverticular disease is a benign pathology, inflammatory process often creates serious technical difficulties in surgery due to the violation of the anatomical relationship of the intestine with the surrounding organs, while surgeries often affect several organs with a high infection risk. Aim. Analysis of the results of the treatment of patients with diverticular colon fistulas in a specialized department of a multidisciplinary hospital. Materials and Methods. Treatment outcomes were analyzed retrospectively in 347 patients with diverticular colon disease complications for the period from 2013 to 2022. The study included 17 patients with diverticular fistulas: 14 (82.4%) patients with internal (intestinal-urinary (13) and intestinal-vaginal (1)) fistulas and 3 (17.6%) with external ones. Results and Discussion. The therapeutic and diagnostic algorithm for diverticular fistulas required a wide range of diagnostic methods and a multidisciplinary approach. Surgery remains the single treatment option for this pathology. The choice of the surgical procedure depended on the inflammatory process severity, its spread to the surrounding abdominal organs, and the largest diverticula accumulation in the gut. In the group of patients with intestinal-urinary fistulas, the resection was not limited to the removal of the colon segment only. In 9 (52.9%) cases, it was expanded to the anterior rectum resection due to the inflammation transition to its upper ampullary region. We are supporters of the one-stage surgical procedures with forming the primary anastomosis in patients with diverticular fistulas. We give preference to the Sigal-Ramazanov invagination anastomosis that allows avoiding the anastomosis due to creating a duplicate of the intestinal wall hiding the anastomosis zone. The paper identifies probable predictors of complicating diverticular disease with fistulation. Conclusions. Choosing the optimal treatment option for patients with diverticular disease complications is a difficult problem. It is better to operate on them in the coloproctology departments of multidisciplinary hospitals with the established good interaction among the members of a multidisciplinary team.

A Novel Method of Treating Rectal Diverticulum Using Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS)

Abstract Rectal diverticula are extremely rare with an incidence of less than 0.1% of colonic diverticular disease cases, and the factors that contribute to their evolution are poorly understood. Majority of the cases are diagnosed incidentally, and they are usually clinically asymptomatic and carry a low risk of developing complications; therefore, treatment is not required in most cases. Surgery is generally performed only in the event of complications or when they become symptomatic, such as with the development of obstructive defecation with an impacted fecalith within the diverticulum. As it is a rare entity, there is currently no consensus on the surgical management of rectal diverticulum. Here, we describe a novel and effective method of surgical management of rectal diverticulum utilizing transanal minimally invasive surgery.

The value and advanced features of pre- and metabiotics in the treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular colon disease

Background. Symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular colon disease (SNDCD) is a common condition that significantly affects the quality of life of patients. One of the main therapeutic targets in SNDCD is the microbiota.&#x0D; Aim. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of microbiocenosis-based therapy (prebiotic Mucofalk + metabiotic Zakofalk) in relieving symptoms of SNDCD and maintaining asymptomatic remission.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The study included 60 patients with clinically apparent SNDCD. For 3 months, they were treated with Mukofalk and Zakofalk and then followed up for another 3 months. Parameters such as treatment efficacy, satisfaction and compliance were evaluated, as well as change of short-chain fatty acids in feces using gas-liquid chromatography was measured.&#x0D; Results. A statistically significant improvement of all assessed symptoms (abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, tenesmus) was observed after 3 months of therapy. Relapse of abdominal pain and bowel movement disorders (constipation) after completion of therapy were observed in 7 (11.6%) subjects. The compliance study showed that more than 80% of the required number of sachets/tablets was taken by more than 80% of patients. At the end of follow-up, 49 (81.7%) patients rated their outcomes as "excellent" and 11 (18.3%) as "good". During treatment, there was a significant tendency to increase the absolute content of butyric acid in feces.&#x0D; Conclusion. Microbiocenosis-based therapy with the prebiotic Mukofalk and the metabiotic Zakofalk is effective and safe for treating SNDCD and preventing the recurrence of symptoms and disease complications. The therapy is associated with excellent and good satisfaction and a high compliance to treatment. Therapy with Mukofalk and Zakofalk resulted in the normalization of the intestinal microbiota.

Colonic diverticulosis as an isolated colonoscopy finding for iFOBT-positive patients

Colonic diverticular disease is a common medical condition throughout the world. It is one of the most common findings during the endoscopic evaluation of the colon, such as colonoscopy. A retrospective cohort single-centre study was carried out for all patients referred for colonoscopy with positive immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) results in 2016-2018, mostly within The National Bower Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) in QLD, Australia. The cohort of 319 patients were isolated from all iFOBT-positive individuals with such finding as a diverticular disease. Colonic diverticulosis affected the patients above 43 years old with positive iFOBT, more males than females in this study. In most cases, colonoscopy consisted of benign findings, and diverticular disease was revealed in 47.7% of the patients with such indication for colonoscopy as positive iFOBT. 28.8% of the patients were diagnosed with colonic diverticulosis only. The sigmoid colon was affected by diverticulosis in 96.2% of the cases. Overall, the colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis rate of 2.7% for the patients in the positive FOBT cohort (Group A) is comparable with other studies. However, the diverticulosis group's CRC rate of 1.6% (Group B) was lower than in available published data.

About diverticular colon disease

Relevance. Despite many studies devoted to diverticular colon disease, the results of treatment of this pathology cannot be considered satisfactory. This is primarily due to the fact that the pathogenesis of this pathology has not been fully studied, there are conflicting data on the clinical significance of the level of intraluminal pressure in the intestine and the degree of violation of collagen synthesis in patients. To a certain extent, these criteria can be decisive in assessing the prognosis of the course of the disease in order to timely conduct proactive conservative therapy and adequate surgical aid. The purpose of the study. Improving the results of treatment of patients with complicated course of diverticular colon disease. Materials and methods. There were 194 patients with diverticular colon disease under observation. In 86% of cases, diverticula were localized in the left half of the colon, and isolated sigmoid colon diverticulosis was detected in 68.0% of patients, in the right half — in 4.7% of cases, total diverticulosis — in 9.3% of patients. In patients, the leukocyte intoxication index, the body resistance index, the neutrophil reactive response, the determination of connective tissue dysplasia, connective tissue metabolism indicators, and the measurement of intraluminal pressure in the sigmoid colon were calculated. Results. Conservative therapy was effective in 158 patients (81.4%). Surgical treatment was required for 36 patients (18.6%), with perforation of the diverticulum — in 13.4%, with stenosis — in 5.2% of cases. The nature of the operation was determined by the localization of diverticula and the variant of complication. Postoperative mortality was 2.8%. It was found that connective tissue dysplasia is observed in all patients with diverticular disease, mild — in 36.6% of patients, moderate — in 63.4%. When assessing the intraluminal pressure in 46 patients, its increase was found in all variants of the course of diverticular disease. The average intraluminal pressure was 13.5 ± 0.4 mm Hg. The maximum pressure level was detected in patients with uncomplicated course of the disease. With the development of complications, a decrease in intraluminal pressure was noted. A decrease in intraluminal pressure to 12 mm Hg or less was an unfavourable factor and a predisposition to the development of a complicated course of the disease. The following signs had a significant effect on the recurrence of the disease: age (61-68 years), complications, duration of the disease (more than 4 years), the size of the diverticulum mouth (less than 0.6 cm and more than 1.0 cm), leukocyte intoxication index (more than 2.4 conventional units), the maximum number of rows of the muscle plate of the mucosa and muscle membranes (more than 8.3 and 84 respectively). Conclusions. To predict the course of diverticular disease, a comprehensive analysis of the age of patients, the stage of the disease and its duration, the diameter of the diverticular mouth, the sum of alternative signs of trouble, leukocyte intoxication index, the reactive response of neutrophils, the number of rows of myocytes of the muscle plate of the mucosa and muscle membranes is necessary. Their evidentiary value exceeds 70%. The level of intraluminal pressure in the colon can act as a criterion for the complicated course of diverticular disease.

Prognostic possibilities of CT in the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory complications of diverticular disease

Objective: to determine the diagnostic effectiveness of computed tomography (CT) in predicting the course of the disease in patients with chronic inflammatory complications of diverticular disease (DD).Material and methods. The study included 70 patients with a complicated course of colon diverticular disease in the phase of exacerbation of the chronic inflammatory process. All patients underwent CT of the abdominal cavity with intravenous contrast to assess the type and severity of inflammatory changes in the colon and surrounding tissues in the area of localization of diverticula. All patients received conservative treatment and were monitored as part of the ongoing study for 12 months from the moment of initial treatment at the Center. Surgical intervention due to the ineffectiveness of conservative therapy or the recurrence of the inflammatory process during the established follow-up period was considered as an unfavorable outcome of the disease (42/60%). The positive effect of drug therapy without signs of a return of the clinical picture of inflammation within 12 months was considered as a favorable outcome (28/40%). A statistical analysis of CT signs of inflammatory changes in various DD outcomes was performed to identify prognostic CT parameters.Results. Statistically significant differences were revealed between the severity of inflammatory changes according to CT data for different outcomes of the disease. In the favorable outcome group, the main part (23/28.82%) were patients with diverticulitis, in the unfavorable outcome group, 2/3 of patients (29/42.64%) were diagnosed with pericolic infiltrates, including abscesses/cavities, and colon fistulas. It was found that the thickness of the intestinal wall, the extent of inflammatory changes in the intestinal wall, the extent of inflammatory infiltration of pericolic fiber, the symptom of “centipede”, the accumulation of fluid in the pericolic region statistically significantly differed with different outcomes of chronic inflammatory complications of diverticular disease. Мultivariate Cox proportional hazard model revealed two main predictors of the onset of an unfavorable outcome – thickening of the intestinal wall and the presence of fluid in the pericolic region. Thickening of the intestinal wall at values equal to or greater than 0,6 cm increased the risk of an unfavorable outcome by 4.69 times, and the presence of fluid by 4.52 times.Conclusion. The use in clinical practice of the revealed CT predictors of the onset of an unfavorable outcome in chronic inflammatory complications of DB can serve as one of the factors for deciding on elective surgery in this category of patients.

LARGE INTESTINES COMPLICATED DIVERTICULITIS MODERN TREATMENT TACTICS USING VIDEOENDOSCOPIC EQUIPMENT

Abstract. Colonic diverticular disease (CDD) is an important problem in abdominal surgery for the majority countries of the world. The incidence of CDD is, unfortunately, progressing. The CDD relevance is determined by medical and economic aspects taking into account the disease frequent cases in working age persons. The tactics of CDD treatment is considered to be traditional and is determined according to the generally accepted modifi ed disease classifi cation according to E. J. Hinchey. Using daily the tactics of a personalized approach to patients we agree with the opinion of our colleagues and consider the choice of sigmoid colon acute diverticulitis and its complications optimal method of diagnosis and surgical treatment to be still arguing. Having considerable experience and treating patients with CDD for a long time, we try to use mostly the laparoscopic approach in surgical tactics the eff ectiveness of which we intend to summarize.The purpose. To determine the eff ectiveness of the laparoscopic method of surgical treatment of patients with CDD complicated clinical manifestation. Research material and methods. The treatment of 221 patients with 263 surgical interventions due to CDD and its complications was analyzed. CDD complicated forms were diagnosed in 186 (84.5 %) patients. 164 (62.4 %) operations were performed urgently, 102 (61.7 %) of which were performed using videoendoscopic equipment, 62 (38.3 %) were performed using the traditional open method. Open operations performed under urgent indications. Special attention was attracted to patients with bleeding as CDD complication. 9 patients (in 6 with initial intestinal bleeding and in 3 with CDD complicated by profuse bleeding) underwent operative treatment. All patients were treated in one stage.Results and their discussion. According to planned indications, 26 laparoscopic and 31 open resections of the large intestine were performed due to CDD. The source of infl ammation was localized in the sigmoid colon in all patients. Infl ammation of one diverticulum occurred in 56 (98.4 %) cases, two diverticulies – in 1 (1.6 %) observation. 49 patients were treated in 2 stages. Perforation of the diverticulum wall was detected in 79 (51.6 %) patients. The duration of operative treatment of patients with complicated CDD using videoendoscopic equipment was 73.4±6.2 min. The index of bed days duration with laparoscopic operations was 6.1±0.7. The patients’ stay in the hospital after scheduled videoendoscopic operations was 6.3±1.6 days. From 9 patients with bleeding in the absence of conservative therapy effi cacy and under the condition of the patient’s stable condition, 4 patients underwent laparoscopic left-sided hemicolectomy. Open surgical interventions were performed in 5 patients, mostly elderly and with severe concomitant pathology.Conclusions. In case of patients with a CDD complicated course treatment we consider a two-stage treatment preferable, when the second stage (left-sided hemicolectomy) is performed in a planned manner within 9 days to 6 months after the operation for urgent indications. Patients with complicated CDD operative treatment is better to be performed with the use of videoendoscopic equipment. It is better to perform repeated planned radical operations for CDD laparoscopically, which is evidenced by a lower number of complications. The use of laparoscopic technologies in case of colonic bleeding treatment as CDD complication is a promising direction in abdominal surgery and requires its e ffi ciency further study.

Identification of diverticular disease in Swedish healthcare registers: a validation study

Purpose The Swedish National Patient Register (SNPR) is frequently used in studies of colonic diverticular disease (DD). Despite this, the validity of the coding for this specific disease in the register has not been studied. Methods From SNPR, 650 admissions were randomly identified encoded with ICD 10, K572-K579. From the years 2002 and 2010, 323 and 327 patients respectively were included in the validation study. Patients were excluded prior to, or up to 2 years after a diagnosis with IBD, Celiac disease, IBS, all forms of colorectal cancer (primary and secondary), and anal cancer. Medical records were collected and data on clinical findings with assessments, X-ray examinations, endoscopies and laboratory results were reviewed. The basis of coding was compared with internationally accepted definitions for colonic diverticular disease. Positive predictive values (PPV) were calculated. Results The overall PPV for all diagnoses and both years was 95% (95% CI: 93–96). The PPV for the year 2010 was slightly higher 98% (95% CI: 95–99) than in the year 2002, 91% (95% CI: (87–94) which may be due to the increasing use of computed tomography (CT). Conclusion The validity of DD in SNPR is high, making the SNPR a good source for population-based studies on DD.

Perfusion Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Colonic Diverticular Disease and its Complications

Introduction. Colonic diverticular disease (colonic diverticulitis) is considered to be a serious medical and social problem of modern society, marked by a persistent decrease in the quality of life of patients and a steady growth in morbidity with a tendency to increase complications of the underlying disease in the form of inflammatory destructive changes in the intestinal wall.Materials and methods. The study involved 63 patients with colonic diverticulitis, males and females, aged 34 through 79 years. All participants were divided into 3 groups, depending on the damage to the intestinal wall. The first group included 11 patients with intact intestinal wall, the second group included 43 patients with diverticulitis, and the third group — 9 patients with adenocarcinoma of the large intestine.Results and discussion. When performing perfusion computed tomography (PCT) of the intestinal wall, it was found that BF values in acute diverticulitis, compared to the intact intestinal wall, increased on average by 1.7 times, while in malignancies — by 5.3 times. BV values in acute diverticulitis, as compared to the intact intestinal wall, increased by 9.2, and in malignancies — 13.6 times. MRI values in acute diverticulitis, as compared to the intact intestinal wall, increased by 2.5 times, and in malignancies — 3.9 times. PS values in acute diverticulitis, as compared to the intact intestinal wall, increased by 1.7 times, and in malignancies — 3.8 times.Conclusion. Since PCT is able to detect the difference of microcirculation parameters in inflammatory and malignant processes, it can be used in the diagnostic algorithm to determine further treatment strategy.

S281 Chronic Diarrhea Compared to Chronic Constipation Results in More Colonic Diverticular Disease and GI Visits: A Community-Based Retrospective Cohort Study With &gt;10-Year Follow-Up

S281 Chronic Diarrhea Compared to Chronic Constipation Results in More Colonic Diverticular Disease and GI Visits: A Community-Based Retrospective Cohort Study With &gt;10-Year Follow-Up

INCIDENTALLY DIAGNOSED APPENDIX DIVERTICULOSIS AFTER APPENDECTOMY

Title:&#x0D; Incıdentally Diagnosed Appendix Diverticulosis After Appendectomy&#x0D; Short Title:&#x0D; Appendix Diverticulosis&#x0D; Abstract &#x0D; Appenix diverticulitis was first described by Kelynack in 1893. Appendix diverticulosis is a rare clinical manifestation of the appendix with a changing rate of 0.004 to 2.1% of all appendectomies. Generally diagnosed in males, and the mean age is 38. Appendix diverticulosis may be inflamed and result in appendix diverticulitis or can be incidentally diagnosed by acute appendicitis. Clinical presentation of appendix diverticulitis may be similar to acute appendicitis but clinical signs may occur slowly and mildly. &#x0D; The thirty-five-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department with right lower quadrant pain. The patient has abdominal tenderness, rebound, and defense reactions with other intraabdominal infections signs. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed and appendix diameter was measured enlarged, and inflammation signs were observed in the surrounding tissue in favor of acute appendicitis. A laparoscopic appendectomy was performed. During the operation, three small herniated tissue was observed on the anti-mesenteric surface of the appendix. Acute phlegmonous appendicitis and appendix diverticulosis diagnosis were confirmed with the histopathological examination.&#x0D; Appendix diverticulosis may occur either acquired or congenital. The congenital diverticulosis is generally located on the anti-mesenteric edge and contains all layers of the appendix wall. Diagnosed appendix diverticulosis is acquired type predominantly. Appendix diverticulosis is diagnosed more commonly in patient who has cystic fibrosis or Hrschsprung’s disease. However, no relationship between colon diverticular disease and appendix diverticula has been found. There is a high risk of appendiceal neoplasms such as carcinoid tumors and mucinous adenomas. The gold standard to diagnose appendix diverticula is histopathological examination.

Characteristics of the microbiome in patients with symptomatic uncomplicated colonic diverticular disease in the central region of Ukraine

The aim of the study was to analyze the age structure, correlation with body mass index in patients with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) in the central region of Ukraine. To reveal the prevalence of left-sided, right-sided or total diverticular lesions of the large intestine, to evaluate the microbiota composition, to identify peculiarities of the enterotype. Materials and methods. The study included 125 patients with SUDD aged 18 to 90 years who were at a Gastroenterology Hospital in the period from 2019 to 2022. All the patients were residents of the central region of Ukraine. Body mass index was calculated for all patients, total colonoscopy was performed, and fecal analysis was done using culturing and qRT-PCR methods. Results. The incidence of SUDD among patients in the central region of Ukraine increases with age and reaches its peak in the 71–80 age group. Almost all age groups are dominated by women. Left-sided localization of diverticula occurs in 84.8 % of patients, right-sided in 8.0 %, total in 7.2 %. The majority of patients with diverticular disease (87.2 %) are overweight or with varying degrees of obesity. Patients with SUDD are characterized by a decrease in the main representatives of obligate microflora, namely, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli. In 46.4 % of patients, representatives of opportunistic flora are detected, in 24.0 % – an increase in fungi from the genus Candida. Also, changes in enterotypes are detected, namely an increase in Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, with a decrease in Bacteroides. The number of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii tends to decrease, while the Akkermansia muciniphila count is unchanged. Conclusions. The incidence of SUDD increases with age among the population of the central region of Ukraine. Among patients with SUDD, women predominate in almost all age groups. 87.2 % of patients with SUDD are overweight or with various degrees of obesity. The left-sided localization of diverticula prevails among patients with SUDD in the central region of Ukraine – 84.8 %. Patients with SUDD in the central region of Ukraine are characterized by the decrease in the main representatives of obligate microflora, namely: Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli. In 46.4 % of patients with SUDD, representatives of conditionally pathogenic flora are found, in 24.0 % – the increase in fungi from the genus Candida. Changes in enterotypes are detected, namely the increase in Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, with the decrease in Bacteroides. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii tends to decrease, while Akkermansia muciniphila are unchanged.

Are Patients Requiring Hartmann's Procedure Being Adequately Optimised for Surgery: An Audit Cycle.

Introduction Hartmann's procedures are common surgical operations indicated in a wide variety of presentations including colon malignancy, diverticular disease, volvulus, and colovesical and colovaginal fistulas. The procedure is a major undertaking for the patient and those presenting in the emergency setting are often clinically unwell with deranged laboratory investigations. Numerous studies have demonstrated that pre-operative anaemia contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. Applying the conclusions of one study recommending a minimum haemoglobin >12 g/dL level pre-operatively, this audit assessed patient optimisation prior to Hartmann's procedure. Materials and methods Patients undergoing Hartmann's procedures between May 2016 and February 2020 were identified. Data was collected retrospectively to analyse American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) grade and pre-operative haemoglobin level. Pre-operative haemoglobin and group and save blood test values were identified pre-and post-intervention. Results Pre-intervention, 15 (21%) of 70 patients had a haemoglobin level <12 g/dL and 63 patients (90%) had a group and save blood test completed on admission. Post-intervention data was collected from 45 patients, with figures improving to five (11%) and 44 (97%) patients, respectively. Conclusion Our flowchart poster distribution and addition to the surgical proforma led to increased patient optimisation prior to Hartmann's procedure.

Increased mucosal eosinophils in colonic diverticulosis and diverticular disease.

Eosinophils contribute to tissue homeostasis, damage, and repair. The mucosa of colonic diverticula has not been evaluated for eosinophils by quantitative histology. We aimed to investigate whether mucosal eosinophils and other immune cells are increased in colonic diverticula. Hematoxylin and eosin stained sections from colonic surgical resections (n=82) containing diverticula were examined. Eosinophils, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, in five high power fields in the lamina propria were counted at the base, neck, and ostia of the diverticulum and counts compared to non-diverticula mucosa. The cohort was further subgrouped by elective and emergency surgical indications. Following an initial review of 10 surgical resections from patients with diverticulosis, a total of 82 patients with colonic resections containing diverticula from the descending colon were evaluated (median age 71.5, 42M/40F). Eosinophil counts for the entire cohort were increased in the base and neck (median 99 and 42, both P=<0.001) compared with the control location (median 16). Eosinophil counts remained significantly increased in the diverticula base (both P=<0.001) and neck (P=0.01 and <0.001, respectively) in both elective and emergency cases. Lymphocytes were also significantly increased at the diverticula base compared to controls in both elective and emergency subgroups. Eosinophils are significantly and most strikingly increased within the diverticulum in resected colonic diverticula. While these observations are novel, the role of eosinophil and chronic inflammation is as yet unclear in the pathophysiology of colonic diverticulosis and diverticular disease.

Complications of Diverticular Disease – a Quick Overview

Diverticulosis is a chronic acquired disease defined by the presence of diverticular protrusions throughout the wall layers of the digestive tract. Colonic diverticular disease is defined as clinically manifest or symptomatic diverticulosis, either by inflammation, diverticular bleeding or segmental colitis. It is a frequent cause of hospitalization in industrialized countries and also makes a major contribution to health care costs. Due to the spread of the Western-style diet, low in fibre and high in processed foods, the prevalence of diverticulosis is now increasing globally. Obesity is a significant risk factor contributing to the increased prevalence of both diverticular disease and diverticulitis and its complications, particularly in the younger population, previously considered to be at much lower risk than the geriatric population. Diverticulitis occurs when one or more diverticula, together with adjacent colonic tissue, undergo an inflammatory process. Approximately 15% of patients who suffer an episode of acute diverticulitis will experience complications, the most common of which is peridiverticular abscess, which can be complicated by peritonitis. Less common complications are colonic lumen stenosis and fistulae. Being a relatively common disease in the general population, with a constantly increasing prevalence, and also a disease with potentially reducible complications, especially in the case of frail patients with multiple comorbidities, it is necessary not only to update the therapeutic strategies, but also to set up multidisciplinary medical teams in which communication between the specialists involved results in a personalised (personalized) approach to each case.

Radical surgery for non-neoplastic colonic diseases

Aim. To improve the results of surgical treatment for patients with non-neoplastic colonic diseases by optimizing the choice of radical surgery extent. Materials and methods. The study material was the analysis of radical surgical interventions performed in 87 patients with non-neoplastic colonic diseases: ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, familial adenomatous polyposis, chronic colonic and coloproctogenic stasis, diverticular colon disease. The age of the operated patients was 20–72 years. There were 49 (56.3 %) men and 38 (43.7 %) women. The criteria for choosing the radical surgery extent for these diseases were defined and substantiated. Results. There were 3 postoperative mortalities (3.4 %) among patients operated on absolute indications for acute complications of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Recurrences of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and familial adenomatous polyposis occurred in 16 (18.4 %) operated patients in the area of the retained rectal stump and terminal ileum. Malignant transformation of the rectal stump occurred in 5 (5.7 %) patients with these recurrences. The extent of radical surgery in non-neoplastic colonic diseases depended on the diagnosis of the underlying disease, the presence of complications, the depth of wall lesions and the extent of the pathological process, the risk of recurrence in the anatomical parts of the small and large intestine. Conclusions. Deciding on the extent of the radical stage of surgical intervention depended on the diagnosis, features of the clinical course of non-neoplastic colorectal diseases, recurrences, the general condition of a patient, the pathological process extent and severity. Performing the optimal extent of radical surgery for non-neoplastic colonic diseases helped reduce the number of recurrences in the terminal part of the small intestine to 4 (4.6 %), in the area of the rectal stump to 7 (8.1 %), improved functional outcomes and quality of life in 76 (87.3 %) operated patients.