Right-Sided Diverticulosis and Disparities from Left-Sided Diverticulosis in the Vietnamese Population Living in Boston, Mass., USA: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
OBJECTIVE
To report the prevalence, clinical differences and complications of right-sided diverticulosis (RD) and to investigate the potential disparities from left-sided diverticulosis (LD) in the Vietnamese population.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study was conducted using medical records of Vietnamese-born patients from 2000 to 2013 in a community teaching hospital in Boston, Mass., USA. By simple randomization, a randomized control group of 299 Caucasian patients was also selected from the same time frame [167 males (M) and 132 females (F)]. Colonoscopy reports were reviewed for demographics (age and gender), indication and anatomical location of the colonic diverticulosis (CD), concomitant colonic findings, symptoms, and endoscopic complications.


RESULTS
A total of 207 patients were included in the Vietnamese cohort (mean age 61.6 ± 8.9 years). The mean age at first screening colonoscopy was 58.2 ± 7.2 years (114 F/92 M, 55.7/44.4%). Our study identified 104 (50.5%) patients with LD (57 M/47 F), 65 (31.1%) with RD (35 M/30 F) and 38 (18.4%) with both LD and RD (23 M/15 F); 133 (64%) were asymptomatic. A total of 21 (33%) patients with RD were symptomatic. The mean age of the control group was 61.6 ± 8.1 years. The average age at first screening colonoscopy was 52.8 ± 6.4 years. Of the 299 in the Caucasian group, 254 (84.9%) had LD (114 M/140 F), 9 (3.0%) had RD (2 M/7 F) and 36 (12%) had both LD and RD (16 M/20 F); 225 (75%) were asymptomatic and came in for screening colonoscopies. A total of 2 patients (22%) with RD were symptomatic.


CONCLUSIONS
RD was common in this Vietnamese population, and the prevalence was higher than in the Caucasian control group.
Department of Internal Medicine, Steward Carney Hospital, Boston, Mass., USA.
Raman
R
Mehrzad
Suprav
S
Mishra
Garrey
G
Faller
Babar
B
Memon
Joseph
J
Fiore
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D043963:Diverticulosis, Colonic / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014744:Vietnam / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People