Background and Study Aims: We performed a long-term follow-up study of patients with segmental colitis associated with diverticula, in order to clarify the natural history of this disease.
Patients and Methods: We identified 15 patients who were diagnosed as having segmental colitis associated with diverticula during 1997. We assessed these patients by means of periodic follow-up visits from 1997 to 2004.
Results: Eight of the 15 patients had no clinical recurrence during follow-up. Five patients had sporadic recurrences that were clinically mild (on average, one in 5 years), which responded to topical therapy and often to self-medication. Only two patients were diagnosed during the follow-up period as having Crohn’s disease; notably, these were the only patients who did not have hematochezia as the main symptom at onset.
Conclusion: The course of this disease appears to be substantially benign.
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G. Imperiali, MD
Divisione di Gastroenterologia · Ospedale Generale di Zona ”Valduce“
Via Dante 11 · 22100 Como · Italy
Fax: +39-031308047
Email: g.imperiali@libero.it
