title: Acute diverticulitis in young adults.
abstract: Diverticular disease of the colon is generally considered a disease of older patients, rarely causing symptoms before age 40. Two recent cases of ruptured sigmoid diverticulitis in young female patients presenting to our Emergency Department prompted a review of the literature on this topic. Diverticulitis is more common in patients under 40 than previously suspected. Presented are the two cases and a brief summary of the literature review.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Springfield, Massachusetts 01199.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Mader
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D012809:Colon, Sigmoid; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans