Pathophysiology of Diverticular Disease: From Diverticula Formation to Symptom Generation

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 23; no. 12; p. 6698
• Main Authors: Barbaro, Maria Raffaella, Cremon, Cesare, Fuschi, Daniele, Marasco, Giovanni, Palombo, Marta, Stanghellini, Vincenzo, Barbara, Giovanni
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 15.06.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Asymptomatic; Cell cycle; Collagen; Colon; Colorectal cancer; Diet; Diverticulitis; Extracellular matrix; Genes; Inflammation; Irritable bowel syndrome; Mutation; Nervous system; Pathogenesis; Pathophysiology; Population; Proteins; Review; Vegetarianism; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126698

Diverticular disease is a common clinical problem, particularly in industrialized countries. In most cases, colonic diverticula remain asymptomatic throughout life and sometimes are found incidentally during colonic imaging in colorectal cancer screening programs in otherwise healthy subjects. Nonetheless, roughly 25% of patients bearing colonic diverticula develop clinical manifestations. Abdominal symptoms associated with diverticula in the absence of inflammation or complications are termed symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD). The pathophysiology of diverticular disease as well as the mechanisms involved in the shift from an asymptomatic condition to a symptomatic one is still poorly understood. It is accepted that both genetic factors and environment, as well as intestinal microenvironment alterations, have a role in diverticula development and in the different phenotypic expressions of diverticular disease. In the present review, we will summarize the up-to-date knowledge on the pathophysiology of diverticula and their different clinical setting, including diverticulosis and SUDD.