Segmental Colitis Associated with Diverticulosis (SCAD)

A distinctive, possibly "novel" form of a segmental inflammatory colonic disease process associated with diverticular disease (so-called SCAD or segmental-colitis-associated-diverticulosis) is reviewed.

Although this phenotype of inflammatory colonic disease was initially recognized decades ago, mainly in the elderly, recent evidence from long term natural history studies along with meta-analyses confirms that its clinical course is usually benign and drug-responsive. Interestingly, its appearance in some treated with monoclonal agents (eg., ipilimumab associated colitis) or infected with coronavirus-19 may have critical implications for its pathogenesis. This review further explores the implications of recognition of this pattern of colonic inflammatory disease, with relevance for physicians involved in both clinical practice and clinical trials of newer therapeutic agents.