Diverticular disease-associated colitis

Abstract

Diverticular disease-associated colitis is a disorder of chronic segmental mucosal inflammation limited to an area affected by diverticular disease. It is characterized by the presence of features of chronic inflammation such as distortion of the architecture and an increase of inflammatory cells which may be associated with basal plasma cells and even granulomas. The lesions are however limited to the sigmoid and should not be diagnosed as either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. For a precise diagnosis it is essential to know the site of origin of the biopsy and to correlate with the endoscopic data.