Chronic diverticulitis of the large intestine characterized by stenosis symptoms in Japan: report of 6 cases.

The concept of chronic diverticulitis, which is characterized by stenosis symptoms, has recently been proposed. However, it is not widely known in Japan. To stress the prevalence of this disease in Japan, we herein report 6 patients with chronic diverticulitis who required surgery. The present study involved both clinicopathological analyses of 6 patients and a review of case reports in Japan. The site involved in all 6 patients was the left-sided colon. Stenosis symptoms (i.e., ileus) were observed in all 6 patients. Preoperative clinical diagnoses were diverticulitis (n = 4) and suspected type 4 colon cancer (n = 2). Histopathological examination confirmed the presence of diverticulitis and fibrous thickening of the bowel wall due to chronic diverticulitis in all patients. Our review of the case reports of 32 patients with chronic diverticulitis in Japan revealed that the site most frequently involved was the left-sided colon, despite the fact that diverticulitis occurs most frequently in the right-sided colon in Japan. The present report confirmed that chronic diverticulitis is not an uncommon disease, with the same preponderance in the left-sided colon also in Japan. Therefore, we need to bear in mind the concept of chronic diverticulitis for patients with colonic obstruction.