BACKGROUND: Complicated colonic diverticular disease in young patients is a rare entity, with an incidence <10% from all patients in the largest series. CLINICAL CASES: We present two cases of complicated diverticular disease in patients <35 years old treated at the Hospital Juárez of México City. Both patients had acute abdominal pain with several days of evolution. In both patients, emergency surgery was performed and postoperative evolution was favorable. CONCLUSIONS: Some authors have concluded that diverticulitis in younger patients demonstrates a more aggressive course than in older patients and with an increased risk of complications. Therefore, most physicians recommended elective resection after a single attack in such patients. Conversely, some recent reports highlighted that the clinical course and complications are similar in both age groups.
BACKGROUND: Complicated colonic diverticular disease in young patients is a rare entity, with an incidence <10% from all patients in the largest series. CLINICAL CASES: We present two cases of complicated diverticular disease in patients <35 years old treated at the Hospital Juárez of México City. Both patients had acute abdominal pain with several days of evolution. In both patients, emergency surgery was performed and postoperative evolution was favorable. CONCLUSIONS: Some authors have concluded that diverticulitis in younger patients demonstrates a more aggressive course than in older patients and with an increased risk of complications. Therefore, most physicians recommended elective resection after a single attack in such patients. Conversely, some recent reports highlighted that the clinical course and complications are similar in both age groups.