J Korean Radiol Soc.  1979 Jun;15(1):205-211. 10.3348/jkrs.1979.15.1.205.

Changing incidence of diverticular disease of the colon in the Koreans : a radiological study

• Chung SK
• Sohn HS
• Lee SK
• Bahk YW

• KMID: 2349367
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1979.15.1.205

Abstract

Diverticular disease of the colon is the commonest patholgoical process in the large bowel in the agedcaucasians, but this is rare in oriental races. In Korea, diverticular disease of the colon was known to be rare as reported by Kim in 1964. Since then, however, we have had an impression that the diverticular disease of thecolon is not so rare as was reported by Kim previously from our departement. The present study has been undertaken to substantiate our impression. We reviewed 1,143 consecutive cases of double-contrast barium enema performed at the Dep. of Radiology, St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Medical College during the past 7 years to analized diverticular disease patterns of the colon in the Koreans. 1 The present study revealed 29 patients ofdiverticular disease of the colon, an incidence of 2.5%. The age distribution was shown in Table1. 2. The meannumber of diverticular were 9 and the mean size as follows; the cecum, 6.4mm; the proximal 1/3 of the ascending colon, 5.6mm; the mid 1/3 of the ascinding colon, 4.9mm; and the distal 1/3 of the ascending colon, 4.4mm. 3. The average age of patient with diverticular disease of the colon was 49.5 years. Chief complaints were change of bowel habit (31.6%), abdominal pain (28.9%) and indigestion (18.4%). 4. The associated radiological findings of diverticular disease of the colon were (1) spasm in 16 cases (46%) : (2) a marginal irregularity in 16 case (25%);and (3) asymmetrical haustra in 16 cases (30%). In 13 cases no associated sings seen. We have found that the incidence of the diverticular disease of the colon in the present series is very significantly higher than that ofthe previous report from our department (Kim, 1964). We postulate that the possible factors operational in such incrase in the incidence of the clonic diverticular disease in the last decade are ; (1) changing dietary pattern characterized by high-protein and high-refined-sugar consumption, and (2) routine use of the double contrast technique which permitted us to see more diverticular outpouchings of the colon compared to the conventional simple barium enema study.

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Age Distribution
Barium
Cecum
Colon*
Colon, Ascending
Continental Population Groups
Dyspepsia
Enema
Humans
Incidence*
Korea
Spasm
Barium