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Outcome of younger patients with acute diverticulitis

F Hjern1, T Josephson, D Altman

  • 1Division of Surgery, Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. fredrik.hjern@ds.se

The British Journal of Surgery
|April 17, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Younger patients experiencing acute diverticulitis are not more prone to severe complications. However, recurrence rates for acute diverticulitis were slightly higher in younger individuals compared to older patients.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Surgical Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Controversy exists regarding whether younger patients with acute diverticulitis face higher complication and recurrence risks.
  • This study addresses the clinical outcomes of acute diverticulitis in relation to patient age.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if a younger age at the primary episode of acute diverticulitis is associated with increased complications and recurrence.
  • To compare the severity and progression of acute diverticulitis in patients aged 50 years or less versus those older than 50.

Main Methods:

  • A review of 234 patients with a primary episode of acute diverticulitis was conducted.
  • Diagnosis was confirmed via computed tomography (CT) and/or pathology.
  • Follow-up data, including postal questionnaires, were collected over a mean period of 30 months.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in fever or white blood cell count were observed between younger (<50 years) and older (>50 years) patient groups.
  • Younger patients had a lower rate of severe diverticulitis on CT (2% vs. 11.9%, P=0.025).
  • While recurrence rates were slightly higher in younger patients (25% vs. 19.5%), the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.423).

Conclusions:

  • The initial presentation of acute diverticulitis does not appear to be more aggressive in patients aged 50 years or less.
  • Slightly higher recurrence rates of diverticulitis were noted in younger patients, though not significantly different.
Abstract

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