Impact of age on recurrence and severity of left colonic diverticulitis.
OBJECTIVE
There has been controversy about the presentation and treatment of acute colonic diverticulitis (AD) in young patients. The aim of this observational study was to evaluate the virulence and natural history of AD in three different age groups of patients.


METHODS
The study was performed on 686 patients with the diagnosis of a first episode of AD admitted between January 1998 and December 2008. Patients were classified into three groups: age 45 years or younger (group 1), 45-70 years of age (group 2) and 70 years or more (group 3). The variables studied were gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, associated comorbidity, type of treatment, length of hospital stay and recurrence of AD.


RESULTS
Group 1 included 99 (14.4%) patients, group 2 339 (49.4%) and group 3 248 (36.2%). Of these, 144 patients needed emergency operation at the first admission, 25 underwent elective surgery after the first episode of AD and 10 died after medical treatment; 507 patients were followed for recurrence. In all, 104 (20.5%) patients had a recurrence of AD that required hospitalization. Fifty (9.9%) presented with one episode of severe recurrence, without any difference between the groups (P = 0.533). There were no differences in the analysis of cumulative recurrence (Kaplan-Maier) between the three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
AD does not present a more aggressive clinical course in younger patients and it can be safely managed using the same strategy as in middle aged and older patients.
Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Colorectal Unit, Bellvitge University Hospital, Spain.
J
J
Lopez-Borao
E
E
Kreisler
M
M
Millan
L
L
Trenti
E
E
Jaurrieta
F
F
Rodriguez-Moranta
B
B
Miguel
S
S
Biondo
D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003082:Colectomy; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000209:etiology; D012008:Recurrence; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents