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Faecal Calprotectin: A Non-Invasive Marker for Diagnosing and Monitoring Acute Diverticulitis
Aamer Mohammed1, Yahiya Baig1, Alexandra E Butler2
1School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain, Busaiteen 15503, Bahrain.
Medical Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Faecal calprotectin (FC) shows promise in diagnosing acute diverticulitis (AD) and assessing disease severity. This non-invasive biomarker can also predict recurrence and monitor treatment effectiveness in patients with diverticular disease.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Clinical Biomarkers
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Background:
- Acute diverticulitis (AD) is common and frequently recurs.
- Faecal calprotectin (FC) is a biomarker for intestinal inflammation, but its role in diverticulitis needs clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- Review the evidence for FC's utility in diagnosing and managing diverticular disease (DD) and AD.
- Evaluate FC's role in assessing severity, predicting recurrence, and monitoring treatment response.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a narrative literature review of studies from 2004 to April 2025.
- Searched PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect using keywords for diverticular disease and faecal calprotectin.
- Synthesized original data on FC in DD.
Main Results:
- FC is elevated in AD (556-695 μg/g) and symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (181 μg/g), distinguishing them from functional disorders like IBS (50 μg/g).
- FC correlates with endoscopic severity (48.6% to 93.2% positivity).
- Elevated FC predicts recurrence (87.5% of recurrent cases) and treatment response.
Conclusions:
- FC is a promising non-invasive biomarker for diagnosing AD, assessing severity, predicting recurrence, and monitoring treatment.
- Its ability to detect subclinical inflammation aids risk stratification.
- Further prospective validation is needed for routine clinical use.
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