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URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/presentations/100158.htm

Colon diverticula - series—Indications, part 2

Indications, part 2

Overview

In most cases, diverticula go unnoticed. However, in a small percentage of patients, diverticula can cause problems. The most common problem is diverticulitis, which occurs when a small, hard piece of stool is trapped in the opening of the diverticula. This leads to inflammation and sometimes death of the segment of colon containing the diverticula.

Review Date 5/4/2022

Updated by: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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