Diverticular Disease in the Elderly

While few diseases are limited solely to the elderly, diverticular disease is clearly more prevalent with increasing age and therefore the aim of this review is to focus on the clinical implications of diverticular disease in the elderly.

Diverticulitis in the elderly is best managed with an individualized treatment approach including considerations for selective antibiotic usage even in uncomplicated disease. Furthermore, due to the increased prevalence of ischemic colitis in the elderly and the similarities in presentation with diverticular hemorrhage, there needs to be a high index of suspicion and appropriate evaluation for ischemic colitis in patients with hematochezia, particularly if they have abdominal pain. The elderly are a vulnerable population where the index of suspicion for complications of diverticular disease should be high.