Research Of The Characteristic Of Colonic Diverticular In Chinese People

Diverticular disease (DD) of the colon is very common especially in the elderly. Although DD is present worldwide, a higher incidence has been reported in developed countries, compared to underdeveloped countriest. DD has important implications on the health system, due not only to its worldwide distribution, but also to the lack of knowledge concerning its natural history and the risk factors involved in development of symptoms. As a consequence, it is difficult to define efficacious preventive strategies.According to a recent report by the American Gastroenterological Association on the burden of digestive diseases in the United Statest, DD represents, in terms of direct and indirect costs, the 5th most important gastrointestinal disease, with a mortality-rate of 2.5 per 100 000 per year.DD is a manifestation of an acquired deformity of the colon wall and is characterized by the development of pseudodiverticula, i.e., protrusions of the mucosa and submucosa through the muscular wall. These protrusions occur in weak areas of the wall where blood vessels penetrate due to the high pressure inside the colon.No uniform definition of DD exists as yet. However, according to a recent Consensus Development Conference, colonic DD can be defined as a condition involving primarily the sigmoid region of the colon. This condition may be either asymptomatic, and is referred to as "diverticulosis", or associated with symptoms, and termed "diverticular disease", which may, in turn, be either complicated or non-complicated. The term diverticulitis is used to indicate inflammation of the bowel wall.Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the prevalence rates differ considerably from one country to another. Indeed, the disease is very common in Western developed countries, with a much higher frequency (30-40 %) than that in Eastern and developing countries (1-4 %).Furthermore, in Western countries, about 90 % of the patients have diverticula in the sigmoid segment, while in Asian populations the caecum and the right colon are most frequently involved.Recent studies, however, indicate an increase in the prevalence rate of DD also in Eastern populations, possibly due to increasing globalization and the fact that lifestyle has become increasingly similar in various parts of the world.No definitive data have emerged, so far, on the prevalence rate of DD, mainly because the majority of patients are asymptomatic, and are hence difficult to identify. The most important risk factor appears to be aging, the prevalence rate increases with age and varies from <10 % in subjects <40 years old to an estimated 50-66 % in patients >85 years.The pathogenetic mechanisms of DD are still poorly understood, however it is generally recognized that these are probably related to complex interactions between colon structure, intestinal motility, diet as well as genetic features.In recent years, with the development of living level and the changing of lifestyle in our country, the morbidity rate of the diverticular disease of colon is increased year by year. Meanwhile, there are many differences in the location, age and characteristic of onset domestically and overseas. Even though, most of the clinical physicians are insufficient in the realization of this disease, and they are not familiar with the clinical manifestation, the characteristic of onset and the treatment method. In this study, we collected 950 cases of the diverticular disease of colon from 47789 patients totally with the examination method of enteroscope between April 1984 and November 2006 in Changhai hospital. Through the analysis of 950 cases of the diverticular disease of colon, we conclude the characteristics of onset in Chinese people, especially the age, location, and the degree of onset. We have done the analysis with a large sample in order to provide a clue for the clinical physicians in realizing this disease.