Management Of Acute Diverticulitis Research Articles

Acute diverticulitis management: evolving trends among Italian surgeons. A surveyof the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR).

Acute diverticulitis (AD) is associated with relevant morbidity/mortality and is increasing worldwide, thus becoming a major issue for national health systems. AD may be challenging, as clinical relevance varies widely, ranging from asymptomatic picture to life-threatening conditions, with continuously evolving diagnostic tools, classifications, and management. A 33-item-questionnaire was administered to residents and surgeons to analyze the actual clinical practice and to verify the real spread of recent recommendations, also by stratifying surgeons by experience. CT-scan remains the mainstay of AD assessment, including cases presenting with recurrent mild episodes or women of child-bearing age. Outpatient management of mild AD is slowly gaining acceptance. A conservative management is preferred in non-severe cases with extradigestive air or small/non-radiologically drainable abscesses. In severe cases, a laparoscopic approach is preferred, with a non-negligible number of surgeons confident in performing emergency complex procedures. Surgeons are seemingly aware of several options during emergency surgery for AD, since the rate of Hartmann procedures does not exceed 50% in most environments and damage control surgery is spreading in life-threatening cases. Quality of life and history of complicated AD are the main indications for delayed colectomy, which is mostly performed avoiding the proximal vessel ligation, mobilizing the splenic flexure and performing a colorectal anastomosis. ICG is spreading to check anastomotic stumps' vascularization. Differences between the two experience groups were found about the type of investigation to exclude colon cancer (considering the experience only in terms of number of colectomies performed), the size of the peritoneal abscess to be drained, practice of damage control surgery and the attitude towards colovesical fistula.

Management of acute diverticulitis in Stage 0-IIb: indications and risk factors for failure of conservative treatment in a series of 187 patients

Left-sided acute diverticulitis in WSES Stage 0-IIb preferentially undergoes conservative management. However, there is limited understanding of the risk factors for failure of this approach. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with the decision to perform conservative treatment as well as the predictors of its failure. We included patients with a diagnosis of WSES diverticulitis CT-driven classification Stage 0-IIb treated in the Emergency Surgery Unit of the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital Foundation between 2014 and 2020. The endpoints were the comparison between the characteristics and clinical outcomes of acute diverticulitis patients undergoing conservative versus operative treatment. We also identified predictors of conservative treatment failure. A set of multivariable backward logistic analyses were conducted for this purpose. The study included 187 patients. The choice for operative versus conservative treatment was associated with clinical presentation, older age, higher WSES grade, and previous conservative treatment. There were 21% who failed conservative treatment. Of those, major morbidity and mortality rates were 17.9% and 7.1%, respectively. A previously failed conservative treatment as well as a greater WSES grade and a lower hemoglobin value were significantly associated with failure of conservative treatment. WSES classification and hemoglobin value at admission were the best predictors of failure of conservative treatment. Patients failing conservative treatment had non-negligible morbidity and mortality. These results promote the consideration of a combined approach including baseline patients’ characteristics, radiologic features, and laboratory biomarkers to predict conservative treatment failure and therefore optimize treatment of acute diverticulitis.

FTP2.1 Management settings and follow-up of acute diverticulitis

Abstract Aims This audit evaluated our management of acute diverticulitis against the NICE and ACPGBI guidelines. We explored follow-up luminal investigations to ensure patients safety, and practicality of ambulatory management to potentially improve bed capacity and reduce costs. Method Retrospective data of patients presented acutely with CT-proven diverticulitis from 01/06/2021 to 31/10/2021 was collected. We focused on clinical, biochemical and radiological severity, management, and follow-up investigations. Results Records of 142 patients were evaluated, most of them had mild clinical disease with significant qSOFA score in only 8 patients. Most of patients had WCC of less than 15 and CRP of less than 100. Even in radiological severity, class 1a of modified Hinchey classification (uncomplicated disease) dominated with 96 patients. Interestingly, only 22 patients were treated via ambulatory care, while the remaining 120 received inpatient care. 10 of the inpatient treated patients required HDU/ ITU support and most of the hospital stays were 7 days or less. The treatment was predominantly non-operative, with only 4 patients required surgery and 6 others required radiological drainage. The 1-year follow-up showed only 16 readmissions. As for the follow-up investigations, 45 did not have any follow-up investigations or clinic reviews, 14 of them had complicated diverticulitis. Of the 97 patients who were followed up, 88 patients had endoscopic evaluation and 8 underwent CT colonography. Conclusion Since most patients of acute diverticulitis present with clinically, biochemically, and radiologically mild and uncomplicated disease, ambulatory management should be encouraged where possible. While 1-year readmissions remain low, it is crucial that patients, especially those with complicated disease, receive luminal investigations.

How Would You Manage This Patient With Recurrent Diverticulitis? : Grand Rounds Discussion From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Acute diverticulitis, which refers to inflammation or infection, or both, of a colonic diverticulum, is a common medical condition that may occur repeatedly in some persons. It most often manifests with left-sided abdominal pain, which may be associated with low-grade fever and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Complications may include abscess, fistula formation, perforation, and bowel obstruction. The American College of Physicians recently published practice guidelines on the diagnosis and management of acute diverticulitis, the role of colonoscopy after resolution, and interventions to prevent recurrence of this condition. Among the recommendations were the use of abdominal computed tomography (CT) scanning in cases where there was diagnostic uncertainty, initial management of uncomplicated cases in the outpatient setting without antibiotics, referral for colonoscopy after an initial episode if not performed recently, and discussion of elective surgery to prevent recurrent disease in patients with complicated diverticulitis or frequent episodes of uncomplicated disease. Here, 2 gastroenterologists with expertise in acute diverticulitis debate CT scanning for diagnosis, antibiotics for treatment, colonoscopy to screen for underlying malignancy, and elective surgery to prevent recurrent disease.

Diverticulitis With Microperforation

The authors present the case of a 39-year-old male who returned to the emergency department one month after uncomplicated diverticulitis, with the second bout of diverticulitis newly complicated by microperforation. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of acute diverticulitis across the spectrum of presentations are discussed.

Swiss consensus on the management of acute diverticulitis

Abstract Objective Acute diverticulitis is a frequent clinical conditions encountered in emergency settings. Despite recent international guidelines, management of acute diverticulitis (AD) varies and is not standardized. The aim of the study was to achieve a Swiss nationwide consensus on clinical management of acute diverticulitis. Methods A three-staged consensus meeting according to the Delphi method was performed in 2020 involving 78 Swiss surgeons from 40 hospitals. A steering-group drafted the questionnaires, gathered best available evidence which was presented and discussed in meetings prior answering the questions. Consensus was defined as ≥70% of agreement. Results 57 surgeons answered all the 3 rounds and 28 (53%) performed > 50 colorectal resections per year. On initial workup in the emergency setting, performing leucocytes count (87%), CRP (98%) and CT imaging (98%) reached consensus for the diagnosis, but no uniform classification system of AD was retained. Signs of generalized peritonitis (100%), requiring intravenous pain medication (98%), inability to tolerate oral intake (95%), lack of adequate social support (86%), immunosuppression (96%), and complicated AD on CT (84%) were criteria for hospitalization. Persisting symptoms (95%) and immunosuppression (89%) were criteria for elective colonic resection, while the number of AD episodes were not (27%). In case of abscess, a size ≥ 4 cm reached consensus for percutaneous drainage (88%). No consensus were reached for surgical approach and techniques in the emergency settings, apart from damage control surgery for instable patients (70%). In the follow-up, recommendation for dietary restrictions or lifestyle habits did not reach reach consensus. Conclusion Swiss colorectal surgeons reached consensus for several diagnostics, hospitalization, and elective surgery criterias. However, emergency surgical management and follow-up are less standardized. These variations should be further assessed, and particularly in the context the latest published recommendations.

EP.WE.802Are we over-zealous in our management of acute diverticulitis?

AimsOf the 25% of people with diverticula who develop symptomatic diverticular disease, approximately 75% will have at least one episode of diverticulitis. However according to the latest NICE guidance those with diverticulitis who are not systemically unwell may not require either admission or antibiotics. In the financially austere environment facing the NHS within the COVID 19 pandemic, prudence in such resource allocation is of vital importance. We aim to review management of patients with acute diverticulitis over a 6-month period in a district general hospital against the 2019 NICE guidelines.Methods29 patients presenting with acute diverticulitis, M:F ratio 12:17, median age 55 (range 24-82), median ASA 2 (range 0-3) were retrospectively reviewed. Biochemical markers, lactate and vital signs were used to assess if attending patients were systemically unwell.Results23 patients were admitted and 6 managed as outpatients via the surgical ambulatory unit. Of the 29 patient cohort, 9 (31%) were systemically unwell. All 9 unwell patients received antibiotics. Of the 20 patients not considered systemically unwell, 11 (55%) received antibiotics. 16 (80%) that were admitted did not require admission on retrospective review.ConclusionPrompt administration of intravenous antibiotics for septic patients with diverticulitis reduces associated morbidity and mortality and the observed adherence to this principle is encouraging. For systemically well patients, increased clinical discernment is required to consider managing patients in the surgical ambulatory setting, avoiding unnecessary admissions. Similar caution must be used in appropriate use of antimicrobials to avoid unnecessary adverse consequences.

EP.TU.809Challenges in management of acute diverticulitis within a district general hospital

Abstract Aim Incidence of perforated sigmoid diverticular disease is estimated at 3.4 to 4.5 per 100,000. Perforation may be the first manifestation of complicated diverticulitis with a range of 50% to 70%. We aim to review management of systemically unwell patients with acute diverticulitis in a district general hospital against the 2019 NICE guidelines. Methods 29 patients presenting septic with acute diverticulitis, M:F ratio 12:17, median age 55 (range 24-82), median ASA 2 (range 0-3) were retrospectively reviewed over a 6-month period. Results Mean time to antibiotics was 3.96 hours (range 0-23.11). Of the 7 with perforated diverticulitis severity classification included: Hinchey I – n = 1, 3.4%; Hinchey IIa – 5 (17.2%), and; Hinchey IIb – 1 (3.4%). Time to CT abdomen pelvis was 3.38 hours (range 0-16.4 hours). Two pericolic abscesses met NICE drainage criteria at 3.7 cm and 3.9 cm respectively. The 3.7 cm abscess was drained radiologically at 7 days post-admission and was re-admitted 6 days later requiring further radiological drainage. The patient with a 3.9 cm abscess received a Hartmann’s procedure and had multiple re-admissions requiring a hospital stay of 34 days. There was 0% mortality at 30 days. Conclusion Management of acute diverticulitis continues to present a unique challenge. For systemically unwell patients, timely administration of antibiotics within an hour of sepsis recognition is encouraged to optimise outcomes. Timely cross-sectional imaging is pivotal in disease classification and decision-making regarding acute management. Interventional drainage and surgical resection remain important therapeutic strategies for unwell patients with Hinchey grade II diverticulitis.

What paradigm shifts occurred in the management of acute diverticulitis during the COVID-19 pandemic? A scoping review.

BACKGROUNDAcute colonic diverticulitis (ACD) is common in Western countries, with its prevalence increasing throughout the world. As a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), elective surgery and in-patients’ visits have been cancelled or postponed worldwide. AIMTo systematically explore the impact of the pandemic in the management of ACD.METHODSMEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, MedxRiv, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched to 22 December 2020. Studies which reported on the management of patients with ACD during the COVID-19 pandemic were eligible. For cross sectional studies, outcomes of interest included the number of hospital admission for ACD, as well as key features of disease severity (complicated or not) across two time periods (pre- and during lockdown).RESULTSA total of 69 papers were inspected, and 21 were eligible for inclusion. Ten papers were cross sectional studies from seven world countries; six were case reports; three were qualitative studies, and two review articles. A 56% overall decrease in admissions for ACD was observed during lockdown, peaking 67% in the largest series. A 4%-8% decrease in the rate of uncomplicated diverticulitis was also noted during the lockdown phase. An initial non-operative management was recommended for complicated diverticulitis, and encouraged to an out-of-hospital regimen. Despite initial concerns on the use of laparoscopy for Hinchey 3 and 4 patients to avoid aerosolized contamination, societal bodies have progressively mitigated their initial recommendations as actual risks are yet to be ascertained.CONCLUSIONDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer patients presented and were diagnosed with ACD. Such decline may have likely affected the spectrum of uncomplicated disease. Established outpatient management and follow up for selected cases may unburden healthcare resources in time of crisis.

Annals for Educators - June 2021.

Annals for Educators - June 2021.

727 Ambulatory Management of Acute Uncomplicated Diverticulitis During COVID-19 Pandemic

IntroductionAcute diverticulitis remains a common acute presentation to the emergency department(ED). During the COVID-19 pandemic, surgical services have been adapted to reduce hospital admissions. Our aim is to assess the safety and efficacy of the surgical ambulatory service in the management of acute diverticulitis.MethodData was retrospectively collected on consecutive patients referred to the surgical team with a suspected diagnosis of diverticulitis between 30.04.20-16.08.20. Unsuccessful ambulation was determined by representation at 30 days.Results83 patients presented with suspected diverticulitis. 36 patients were deemed clinically stable and suitable for ambulation. 21 of these patients underwent a CT abdomen in the ED, confirming uncomplicated diverticulitis and were discharged with oral antibiotics as per trust guidance. 4 patients were discharged from ED for an ambulatory CT abdomen, with a median waiting time of 3 days. 11 patients received no imaging prior to discharge, all of whom had known diverticular disease. 86% of ambulated patients underwent a telephone review within 72 hours of acute presentation. 8.3% of ambulated patients represented within a 30 day window, 0 of which required surgical management.ConclusionsPatients presenting with uncomplicated acute diverticulitis can be safely managed in an ambulatory setting. Access to imaging early can facilitate successful discharge.

Management of acute diverticulitis in Covid 19 times. Our experience.

Management of acute diverticulitis in Covid 19 times. Our experience.

Current management of acute left colon diverticulitis: What have Italian surgeons learned after the IPOD study?

The acute left diverticulitis is a common problem encountered by surgeons in the acute setting. Some years ago, the Italian Prospective Observational Diverticulitis (IPOD) study showed several disputes in managing acute left colon diverticulitis in Italian surgical department. The aim of this study is to check the compliance of Italian surgeons with clinical evidence-based guidelines in non-university hospitals. A 21 multiple-choice questions survey was sent to the Italian Society of Hospital Surgeons (ACOI) mailing list members, from the 1st April 2019 to 6th June 2019. One hundred and seventy-four Italian general surgeons (the ACOI collaborative diverticulitis group) joined the project and answered to the survey. The response rate was 7% (174/2500 ACOI members). Despite current international guidelines about the management of acute diverticulitis, several controversies have emerged from the analysis of this survey in the clinical practice of Italian surgeons, resulting from their low compliance with evidence-based recommendations.

Management of Nonoperative Diverticulitis : Is Surgical Admission Always Best?

Institutional pathways (IPs) allow efficient utilization of health care resources. Recent literature reports decreased hospital length of stay (LOS), complications, and costs with the admittance of surgical disease to surgical services. Our study aimed to demonstrate that admission to surgery for nonoperative, acute diverticulitis reduces hospital LOS, and cost, with comparable complication rates. In January 2017, we defined IPs for diverticulitis, mandating emergency department admission to a surgical service. Patients admitted from October 2015 to June 2016 (pre-protocol, control cohort) were compared with those admitted January 2017-September 2018 (post-protocol, IP cohort). Primary outcomes included hospital LOS, direct cost, indirect cost, total cost, and 30-day readmission. Student's 2-tailed t-test and chi-square analysis were utilized, with statistical significance P < .05. Nonoperative management of acute diverticulitis occurred in 62 (74%) patients in the control cohort. One hundred and eleven patients (85%) were admitted to the IP cohort. Patient characteristics were similar, except for a higher percentage of surgical patients utilizing private insurance and younger in age. Interestingly, no difference in hospital LOS (3.8 vs 4.7 days; P = 0.07), direct cost ($2639.44 vs $3251.52; P = .19), or overall cost ($5968.67 vs $6404.08, P = .61) was found between cohorts. Thirty-day readmission rates were comparable at 8% and 11% (P = .59). Institutional policy mandating admissions for patients receiving nonoperative management of diverticulitis to surgical services does not reduce hospital LOS or cost. This argues that admission to medical services may be an acceptable practice. This raises the question, is acute diverticulitis always a surgical issue?

Diverticulitis Aguda del Colon Izquierdo, Nivel de Consenso y de Aplicación de las Guías de Práctica Clínica Entre Miembros de la SACP

Contexto y antecedentes: La elaboración e implementación de guías clínicas pretende brindar ayuda en la toma de decisiones respecto de un determinado problema de salud, sintetizando en forma de recomendaciones la mejor evidencia disponible. Con respecto a la diverticulitis aguda, pese a la gran cantidad de guías que se han elaborado, aún hoy seobserva un bajo nivel de consenso en varios aspectos de su manejo.Objetivos: Este trabajo representa la primera encuesta que mide el nivel de consenso y la aplicación de guías internacionales sobre el manejo de la diverticulitis aguda entre los miembros de la SACP o entre cualquier otra agrupación médica a nivel nacional.Métodos: Se distribuyó una encuesta online a 313 miembros de la SACP, las respuestas se recolectaron en un período de 2 meses.Resultados: La encuesta obtuvo una tasa de respuesta de 19,5%. Solo 17 enunciados superaron el corte de 70% de nivel de consenso. De ellos, 11 enunciados estuvieron de acuerdo mientras que 2 enunciados estuvieron en desacuerdo con las recomendaciones de las guías internacionales y en los 4 enunciados restantes no pudo valorarse la concordancia debido afalta de respuesta univoca en las guías.Conclusiones: La amplia heterogeneidad en el manejo de la diverticulitis aguda entre los miembros de la SACP junto con la baja evidencia de los trabajos científicos, la pobre metodología empleada en las guías internacionales y la necesidad de contar con datos locales sobre costos y preferencias, hacen evidente la necesidad que en nuestro ámbito se comience a investigar en forma sistematizada para lograr una guía y consenso nacional.

3076 Post Colonoscopy Diverticulitis in a 50-Year-Old Woman Undergoing Surveillance Colonoscopy

INTRODUCTION: Colonoscopy is used as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool to treat a wide range of gastrointestinal disorders. Acute diverticulitis after colonoscopy is a rare but potentially serious complication. The incidence of acute diverticulitis after colonoscopy is reported to be 0.084%. Since this is a rare entity, there is limited data regarding the risk, prevention and management of acute diverticulitis after colonoscopy. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 50 year old woman with a history of adenomatous polyp with villous component detected 4 years prior presented for surveillance colonoscopy. She did not have any abdominal pain. Her labs from a year prior showed WBC 6.86 k/uL. Colonoscopy was notable for pan-colonic diverticulitis (Figure 1), most prominent in sigmoid colon. There was a 2 mm sessile polyp in recto-sigmoid colon that was removed with cold biopsy forceps. The procedure was otherwise uncomplicated. She presented to the emergency department (ED) 3 days later with left lower quadrant pain (LLQ) and fever up to 101 Fahrenheit. The pain started 2 days after she underwent colonoscopy. She did not have nausea, vomiting or rectal bleeding. In the ED, she was afebrile with moderate LLQ tenderness without rebound or guarding. Labs showed WBC 15.41 k/uL (72.5% segmented neutrophils), BUN 11 mg/dL, Cr 1.0 mg/dL. CT of the abdomen and pelvis had findings concerning for acute sigmoid colon diverticulitis without abscess (Figure 2). The patient was discharged from the ED on moxifloxacin and metronidazole. DISCUSSION: The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) lists diverticulitis as a miscellaneous complication, however, there is limited data regarding the risk of developing diverticulitis after colonoscopy. In a retrospective cohort of 236, 377 patients who underwent colonoscopy, 68 patients (0.029%) developed post-colonoscopy diverticulitis. The mean time to develop diverticulitis after colonoscopy was 12 ± 8 days. 34 patients (50%) had a history of diverticulitis prior to colonoscopy and 30 patients (44%) required hospitalization. Prospective studies are now needed to evaluate the risk, mechanism and prevention of colonoscopy induced diverticulitis. If significant diverticula are noted on colonoscopy, post-colonoscopy diverticulitis should be discussed as a potential complication, and it should be considered in a patient who presents with fever and abdominal pain after undergoing colonoscopy.

Diagnosis and Management of Acute Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is the cause of 300,000 inpatient admissions in the United States each year. Surgical evaluation and treatment are commonly required for the treatment of diverticulitis. This chapter discusses the diagnosis, triage, and treatment of acute diverticulitis. Medical treatment, as well as the indications for surgical treatment for diverticulitis, is discussed. Current controversies, including the need for antibiotics for a patient with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis, necessity of colonoscopy after resolution of an acute episode, and indications for urgent surgery, are reviewed. This review contains 10 figures, 3 tables, and 67 references. keywords: acute diverticulitis, colonic fistula, complicated diverticulitis, diverticular abscess, diverticular disease, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, perforated diverticulitis, uncomplicated diverticulitis

Is the outpatient management of acute diverticulitis safe and effective? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

In Western countries, the incidence of acute diverticulitis (AD) is increasing. Patients with uncomplicated diverticulitis can undergo a standard antibiotic treatment in an outpatient setting. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the safety and efficacy of the management of acute diverticulitis in an outpatient setting. A literature search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Central and Web of Science up to September 2018. Studies including patients who had outpatient management of uncomplicated acute diverticulitis were considered. We manually checked the reference lists of all included studies to identify any additional studies. Primary outcome was the overall failure rates in the outpatient setting. The failure of outpatient setting was defined as any emergency hospital admission in patients who had outpatient treatment for AD in the previous 60 days. A subgroup analysis of failure was performed in patients with AD of the left colon, with or without comorbidities, with previous episodes of AD, in patients with diabetes, with different severity of AD (pericolic air and abdominal abscess), with or without antibiotic treatment, with ambulatory versus home care unit follow-up, with or without protocol and where outpatient management is a common practice. The secondary outcome was the rate of emergency surgical treatment or percutaneous drainage in patients who failed outpatient treatment. This systematic review included 21 studies including 1781 patients who had outpatient management of AD including 11prospective, 9 retrospective and only 1 randomized trial. The meta-analysis showed that outpatient management is safe, and the overall failure rate in an outpatient setting was 4.3% (95% CI 2.6%-6.3%). Localization of diverticulitis is not a selection criterion for an outpatient strategy (p 0.512). The other subgroup analyses did not report any factors that influence the rate of failure: previous episodes of acute diverticulitis (p = 0.163), comorbidities (p = 0.187), pericolic air (p = 0.653), intra-abdominal abscess (p = 0.326), treatment according to a registeredprotocol (p = 0.078), type of follow-up (p = 0.700), type of antibiotic treatment (p = 0.647) or diabetes (p = 0.610). In patients who failed outpatient treatment, the majority had prolonged antibiotic therapy and only few had percutaneous drainage for an abscess (0.13%) or surgical intervention for perforation (0.06%). These results should be interpreted with some caution because of the low quality of available data. The outpatient management of AD can reduce the rate of emergency hospitalizations. This setting is already part of the common clinical practice of many emergency departments, in which a standardized protocol is followed. The data reported suggest that this management is safe if associated with an accurate selection of patients (40%); but no subgroup analysis demonstrated significant differences between groups (such as comorbidities, previous episode, diabetes). The main limitations of the findings of the present review concern their applicability in common clinical practice as it was impossible to identify strict criteria of failure.

Recent advances in understandingand managing diverticulitis.

In the past few decades, the increasing socioeconomic burden of acute diverticulitis (AD) has become evident, and with the growth of the population age, this significant economic impact will likely continue to rise. Furthermore, recent evidence showed an increased rate of hospital admissions especially evident among women and younger individuals. The natural history and pathophysiology of this clinical condition is still to be fully defined, and efforts continue to be made in the identification of risk factors and the establishment of relative preventive strategies. The actual therapeutic strategies aimed to modulate gut microbiota, such as rifaximin or probiotics, or to reduce mucosal inflammation, such as mesalazine, present a relatively poor efficacy for both the prevention of the first AD episode (primary prevention) and its recurrence (secondary prevention). In the last few years, the main goal achieved has been in the management of AD in that uncomplicated AD can, to a larger extent, be managed in an outpatient setting with no or little supportive therapy, a strategy that will certainly impact on the health costs of this disease. The problem of AD recurrence remains a topic of debate. The aim of this review is to present updated evidence on AD epidemiology and relative open clinical questions and to analyze in detail predisposing and protective factors with an attempt to integrate their possible modes of action into the several pathogenic mechanisms that have been suggested to contribute to this multifactorial disease. A unifying hypothesis dealing with the colonic luminal and extra-luminal microenvironments separately is provided. Finally, evidence-based changes in therapeutic management will be summarized. Because of an ascertained multifactorial pathogenesis of uncomplicated and complicated AD, it is probable that a single ‘causa prima’ will not be identifiable, and a better stratification of patients could allow one to pursue tailored therapeutic algorithm strategies.

Treatment of diverticular disease: an update on latest evidence and clinical implications.

BackgroundDiverticular disease (DD) is a common condition, especially in Western countries. In about 80% of patients, colonic diverticula remain asymptomatic (diverticulosis), while approximately 20% of patients may develop abdominal symptoms (symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease, SUDD) and, eventually complications as acute diverticulitis (AD). The management of this condition has been improved, and in the last five years European countries and the USA have published guidelines and recommendations.ScopeTo summarize the latest evidence and clinical implication in treatment of DD focusing the attention either on the treatment of diverticulosis, SUDD and AD together with the primary and secondary prevention of diverticulitis.FindingsThe present review was based on the latest evidence in the treatment of DD in the last 10 years. In the last 5 years, six countries issued guidelines on DD with differences regarding covered topics and recommendations regarding treatments. At present there is a lack of rationale for drug use in patients with asymptomatic diverticulosis, but there are limited indications to suggest an increase in dietary fibre to reduce risk of DD. To achieve symptomatic relief in SUDD patients, several therapeutic strategies with fibre, probiotics, rifaximin and mesalazine have been proposed even if a standard therapeutic approach remained to be defined. Agreement has been reached for the management of AD, since recent guidelines showed that antibiotics can be used selectively, rather than routinely in uncomplicated AD, although use of antibiotics remained crucial in the management of complicated cases. With regard to treatment for the primary and secondary prevention of AD, the efficacy of rifaximin and mesalazine has been proposed although with discordant recommendations among guidelines.ConclusionTreatment of DD represented an important challenge in clinical practice, especially concerning management of SUDD and the primary and secondary prevention of AD.