What are Diverticula?
A diverticulum (plural: diverticula’s) is medical term for an out pouching of a hollow (or a fluid filled) structure in the body. It usually implies that the structure is not normally present, i.e. pathological. However, embryologically, some normal structures begin development as a diverticulum arising from another structure. Diverticular disease is common in the Western world but is extremely rare in areas such as Asia and Africa. Diverticular disease increases with age. It is uncommon before the age of forty, and is seen in more than fifty percent of people over the age of sixty in the United States. Whereas most patients with diverticular disease have no or few symptoms, some patients will develop bleeding, infection (diverticulitis), constipation, abdominal cramps, and even colon obstruction. Diverticula are thought to be caused by increased pressure within the lumen of the colon. Increased intra-colonic pressure secondary to constipation may lead to weaknesses in the colon walls
