Medical Encyclopedia

Medical Encyclopedia

Colon diverticula - series: Indications, part 2

 Indications, part 2

Colon diverticula - series
Illustrations:

  • Normal anatomy
  • Indications, part 1
  • Indications, part 2
  • Indications, part 3
  • Incision
  • Procedure

    • In most cases, diverticula go unnoticed. However, in a small percentage of patients, diverticula can cause problems. The most common problem is diverticulitis, which occurs when a small, hard piece of stool is trapped in the opening of the diverticula. This leads to inflammation and death of the segment of colon containing the diverticula.

    Update Date: 2/20/2008

    Updated by: Christian Stone, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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