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Sunday 5 July 2026

Peer Reviewed

Gastroenterology clinic

The ins and outs of diverticular disease

Steven Schlichtemeier, Alexander Engel

Recent articles on:
Diverticulosis and diverticulitis

The ins and outs of diverticular disease

Diverticular disease: picking the facts out of the pockets

Managing patients with diverticulosis

A man with rectal bleeding who wishes to avoid colonoscopy

Looking at colonic diverticular disease

Recent articles on:
Digestive diseases

Persistent and chronic hiccups – when trivial becomes a conundrum

Typical reflux disease: recognition and management of resistance to therapy

Dysphagia – an updated guide to investigation

Anal disorders – haemorrhoids, abscesses and fissures

Coeliac disease – optimising long-term management

Abstract

Diverticular disease is a common condition that increases in prevalence with age. Management is multidisciplinary and can range from outpatient treatment to emergency surgery.

Key Points

Remember

Diverticular disease is a common condition that affects one-third of people in Australia over the age of 45 years and two-thirds over the age of 85 years, with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations and possible complications.
A colonic diverticulum is a false diverticulum in which the mucosa and submucosa herniate through the muscle layer of the bowel wall at natural openings where the vasa recta or nutrient vessels traverse the bowel wall.
‘Diverticulosis’ refers to the presence of diverticula, whereas ‘diverticular disease’ is defined as clinically significant and symptomatic diverticulosis and can lead to several complications, including perforation, bleeding, obstruction, abscess and fistula.

Picture credit: © Todd Buck.