Journal of Gastrointestinal & Digestive System
Open Access

Research Article

Disease Course of Right- and Left-sided Diverticulitis in a Western Population

Johannes A. Wegdam^1*, Caroline S. Andeweg², Timme M.A.J. van Vuuren¹, Tammo S. de Vries Reilingh¹, Hester J. van der Zaag-Loonen³ and Harry van Goor⁴

¹Department of Surgery, Elkerliek Hospital, Helmond, Brabant, 5707HA, The Netherlands

²Department of Surgery, St. Jansdal Hospital, Harderwijk, Gelderland, 3840AC, The Netherlands

³Department of Epidemiology, Gelre Hospitals, Apeldoorn, Gelderland, 7300DS, The Netherlands

⁴Department of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525GA, The Netherlands

Corresponding Author:

Johannes Wegdam
MD, Gastrointestinal surgeon, Department of Surgery
Elkerliek Hospital, Wesselmanlaan 25
5707 HA, Helmond, Brabant, The Netherlands
Tel: + 31-492-595555
Fax: + 31-492-595544
E-mail: damblans@onsnet.nu

Received date: March 28, 2016; Accepted date: April 26, 2016; Published date: April 30, 2016

Citation: Wegdam JA, Andeweg CS, van Vuuren TMAJ, Reilingh TSDV, Zaag-Loonen HJV, et al. (2016) Disease Course of Right- and Left-sided Diverticulitis in a Western Population. J Gastrointest Dig Syst 6:421. doi:10.4172/2161-069X.1000421

Copyright: © 2016 Wegdam JA, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Aim: To evaluate the similarities and differences in disease courses between right- and left-sided diverticulitis in a Western population.

Methods: All consecutive patients admitted in a Dutch regional hospital between 2004 and 2008 for conservative or operative management of clinically and radiologically confirmed acute right- and left-sided diverticulitis were analyzed retrospectively. Diverticulitis was clinically suspect if the patient presented with lower abdominal pain combined with at least one elevated inflammatory parameter (temperature, WBC, CRP or ESR). Diverticulitis was radiologically confirmed if at least US or CT demonstrated signs of acute right- or left-sided diverticulitis. Differences in incidence, patient characteristics, clinical presentation and disease course between the two diagnoses were analyzed.

Results: The hospital system yielded 425 patients with a diverticulosis/diverticulitis discharge coding. 57% was excluded because these patients had another diagnosis demonstrated by imaging, besides diverticulosis (19%), had no imaging at all (16%), were elective or referred (7%), were not admitted (4%) or had other reasons (11%). A total of 183 admitted patients with both clinical and radiological confirmed acute colonic diverticulitis were included. The incidence of right-sided diverticulitis was 8%. Patients with right-sided diverticulitis were predominantly female (86% compared to 47% in leftsided diverticulitis, P = 0.05). Median CRP at presentation was lower in right sided diverticulitis, 30 compared to 71 mg/L (P = 0.001). No other differences in clinical presentation, like the severity of diverticulitis, and disease course, like the need for acute surgery, were found between right and left-sided diverticulitis.

Conclusions: Disease course of acute right-sided diverticulitis in Caucasians is comparable to left-sided diverticulitis. Left-sided diverticulitis treatment guidelines may also apply for the right-sided diverticulitis in Caucasians.

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