4.4 Review

Acute Diverticulitis in Young Patients: A Review of the Changing Epidemiology and Etiology

Journal

DIGESTIVE DISEASES AND SCIENCES
Volume 67, Issue 4, Pages 1156-1162

Publisher

SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10620-021-06956-w

Keywords

Diverticulitis; Diverticulosis; Colon; Young; Age

Funding

  1. 2020 Richard Stewart Scholarship

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The incidence of acute diverticulitis has been increasing, especially in younger patients, challenging previous beliefs about the condition and the need for different management strategies between younger and older patients.
Acute diverticulitis is one of the leading gastrointestinal causes for hospitalization. The incidence of acute diverticulitis has been increasing in recent years, especially in patients under 50 years old. Historically, acute diverticulitis in younger patients was felt to represent a separate entity, being more virulent and associated with a higher rate of recurrence. Accordingly, young patients were often managed differently to older counterparts. Our understanding of the natural history of this condition has evolved, and current clinical practice guidelines suggest age should not alter management. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the changing epidemiology of acute diverticulitis, consider potential explanations for the observed increased incidence in younger patients, as well as review the natural history of acute diverticulitis in the younger population.

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