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Diverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the colon (the large intestine). Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches (diverticula) on the outside of the colon. Diverticulitis results if one of these diverticula becomes inflamed or infected. [1] The colon can become infected with craters of food stuck inside, which causes abdominal pain.
The development of colonic diverticulum is thought to be a result of raised intraluminal colonic pressures. The Sigmoid colon (Section 4) has the smallest diameter of any portion of the colon, and therefore the portion which would be expected to have the highest intraluminal pressure. The assumption that a lack of dietary fiber, particularly non-soluble fiber (also known in older parlance as “roughage”) predisposes individuals to diverticular disease is supported within the medical literature.[2] [3]
It is thought that mechanical blockage of a diverticulum, possibly by a piece of feces or food particles, leads to infection of the diverticulum.[citation needed]
There is some evidence that a genetic component may be a causative factor.[citation needed]
Patients often present with the classic triad of left lower quadrant pain, fever, and leukocytosis (an elevation of the white cell count in blood tests). Patients may also complain of nausea or diarrhea; others may be constipated.
Less commonly, an individual with diverticulitis may present with right-sided abdominal pain. This may be due to the less prevalent right-sided diverticula or a very redundant sigmoid colon.
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