Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis

Overview :

Diverticula tend to occur most frequently in the last segment of the large intestine, the sigmoid colon. They occur with decreasing frequency as one examines further back toward the beginning of the large intestine. The chance of developing diverticula increases with age, so that by the age of 50, about 20-50% of all people will have some diverticula. By the age of 90, virtually everyone will have developed some diverticula. Most diverticula measure about 3 mm to just over 3 cm in diameter. Larger diverticula, termed giant diverticula, are quite infrequent, but may measure as large as 15 cm in diameter.