Segmental colitis associated with diverticula: A 7-year follow-up study

Background and Study Aims: We performed a long-term follow-up study of patients with segmental colitis associated with diverticula, in order to clarify the natural history of this disease. Patients and Methods: We identified 15 patients who were diagnosed as having segmental colitis associated with diverticula during 1997. We assessed these patients by means of periodic follow-up visits from 1997 to 2004. Results: Eight of the 15 patients had no clinical recurrence during follow-up. Five patients had sporadic recurrences that were clinically mild (on average, one in 5 years), which responded to topical therapy and often to self-medication. Only two patients were diagnosed during the follow-up period as having Crohn's disease; notably, these were the only patients who did not have hematochezia as the main symptom at onset. Conclusion: The course of this disease appears to be substantially benign.