Diagnosis and Treatment of Diverticular Hemorrhage

Abstract

Recently, the incidence of diverticular hemorrhage has been gradually increasing owing to the increasing prevalence of diverticulosis and the increasingly widespread use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents. Moreover, diverticular hemorrhage develops without any premonitory symptoms, implying that urgent clinical management is needed. The usefulness of contrast CT, angiography, scintigraphy for gastrointestinal bleeding, barium impaction therapy, and colonoscopy is well established in the diagnosis and treatment of diverticular hemorrhage. However, since it is difficult to find the source of bleeding and establish hemostasis, recurrence sometimes occurs. By identifying the pivotal characteristics of the diagnostic and therapeutic methods and understanding the status of patients, optimal methods may be selected for the diagnosis and treatment of diverticular hemorrhage.