Does a colonoscopy after acute diverticulitis affect its management?: a single center experience

Clinical diagnosis of acute diverticulitis is currently confirmed by an abdominal computerized tomography (CT). Common practice has been to perform a colonoscopy after the event to exclude other diagnoses, mainly colon cancer. Our aim was to evaluate the yield of an early colonoscopy.

Medical records of 220 patients hospitalized for acute diverticulitis between June 1, 2002 and September 1, 2009 were reviewed. Acute diverticulitis was diagnosed by clinical criteria and characteristic CT findings. Fifteen patients were excluded either because of questionable CT or hematochezia. Mean age was 61.8±14.3 years (61% females). Clinical parameters, laboratory results, imaging, endoscopic and histopathological reports, and long-term patients' outcome were analyzed.

One hundred patients (aged 61.8±13.3 y, 54.1% females), underwent an early (4 to 6 wk) colonoscopy after hospital discharge. There were no significant differences in patients' characteristics or survival between those with or without colonoscopy (4±1.9 vs. 4.2±2.1 y, P=0.62). No colonic malignancy was detected. However, in 32 patients (32%) at least 1 polyp was found. Only 1 was determined as an advanced adenoma. No new or different diagnosis was made after colonoscopy.

Our results suggest that colonoscopy does not affect the management of patients with acute diverticulitis nor alter the outcome. The current practice of a routine colonoscopy after acute diverticulitis, diagnosed by typical clinical symptoms and CT needs to be reevaluated.