title: Diverticulitis in the young.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colonic diverticulitis is relatively uncommon in young patients, especially those younger than 40 years. We compared demographic data, clinical presentation, management, and clinical course of diverticulitis in patients ≤40 years old compared with patients >40 years old.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included all patients who presented to the emergency department with a diagnosis of diverticulitis between October 1, 2009 and September 30, 2010. Patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (≤40 years old) and group 2 (>40 years old). Demographic characteristics, clinical presentation and management, and short-term outcomes were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-four patients were included in the study (37 patients in group 1 and 57 patients in group 2). A higher percentage of obese and Hispanic men was found in group 1 (P > .05). The rate of discharge from the emergency department was significantly higher in group 1 (56.8% in group 1 vs 7.0% in group 2, P < .01). Group 2 patients had a shorter median length of stay than group 1 patients (3.1 vs 5.7 days, P = .16). There were no differences in vital signs, laboratory data (including complete blood count and basic metabolic panel), and in-hospital mortality rates between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that young Hispanic men develop diverticulitis and that this diagnosis needs to be considered when they present to emergency rooms with abdominal symptoms. A longitudinal study is needed to determine the long-term outcomes in these patients and to investigate the pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA k.kijsirichareanchai@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Kunut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kijsirichareanchai
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Charoen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mankongpaisarnrung
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Grerk
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sutamtewagul
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Ariwan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rakvit
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004238:Diverticulitis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: diverticulitis; diverticulitis in young; diverticulosis