Five-Year Italian Registry of Diverticulosis and Diverticular Disease (Remad): A Low Progression Rate of Disease During the First Year of Follow-Up - European Medical Journal

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Five-Year Italian Registry of Diverticulosis and Diverticular Disease (Remad): A Low Progression Rate of Disease During the First Year of Follow-Up

2 Mins
Gastroenterology
Authors:
*Marilia Carabotti,1 Rosario Cuomo,2 Giovanni Barbara,3 Fabio Pace,4 Paolo Andreozzi,2 Bruno Annibale1

1. Medical-Surgical Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University Sapienza, Rome, Italy
2. Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University, Napoli, Italy
3. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
4. Head Complex Operating Unit of Gastroenterology, “Bolognini” Hospital, Seriate, Bergamo, Italy
*Correspondence to [email protected]

Disclosure:

Prof Cuomo has served as a speaker and consultant for Alfa Wassermann, Allergan, Malesci, Almirall, Fresystem, Shire, Sofar, Biocure, Co.GE.DI, and Valeas, and has received research funding from Alfa Wassermann, Fresystem, Sofar, and CO.GE.DI. Prof Barbara has served as a speaker and consultant for Alfa Wassermann, Allergan, Cadigroup, Danone, Ironwood, Italchimici, Malesci, Menarini, Noos, Shire, Synergy, Sofar, Yakult, and Zespri, and has received research funding from Alfa Wassermann, Cadigroup, Falk Pharma, IMA, Italchimici, Lorenzatto, Parmalat Sofar, Yakult, and Zespri. Dr Pace has served as a speaker for Allergan, Malesci, Menarini, and Alfa Wasserman. Prof Annibale has served as a speaker and consultant for Alfa Wassermann, Allergan, and Malesci, and has received research funding from Alfa Wassermann, Allergan, and Biohit. Dr Carabotti and Dr Andreozzi have declared no conflicts of interest.

Citation:
EMJ Gastroenterol. ;6[1]:42-44. Abstract Review No. AR3.
Keywords:
Colonic diverticulosis, diverticulitis, recurrence, registry, symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD)

Each article is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 License.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

Traditionally, the lifetime risk of developing diverticulitis, the most common clinical complication in diverticular disease, is cited as 10–25%; this high rate of progression, however, has been contradicted by a recent colonoscopy-based retrospective study reporting that only approximately 4% of patients with diverticulosis develop acute diverticulitis.1 At present, a small number of studies, mainly retrospective, have evaluated the natural history of diverticulosis and diverticular disease.1-3

The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of new cases of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) and diverticulitis, and recurrence of diverticulitis after 1-year of follow-up, in a cohort of patients with colonic diverticula.

METHODS

The Italian Study Group on Diverticular Disease (GRIMAD) scientific association promoted the creation of the Registry of Diverticular Disease (REMAD),4 an ongoing 5-year prospective, observational, multicentre, cohort study, involving 47 centres, both academic and non-academic. Each centre was required to recruit at least 20 consecutive patients over 2 months. A total of 1,255 consecutive patients with colonic diverticula were initially considered, but five centres recruited <20 patients, and, therefore, those centres and corresponding recruited patients were excluded from the study (n=38). The median rate of non-adherence of patients to the registry was 22% (range: 5.0–36.4%). Inclusion criteria were informed consent, age ≥18 years, and endoscopic or radiological-confirmed colonic diverticula. Outpatient visits or telephone appointments were scheduled every 6 months.

At entry, patients were categorised into three subgroups according to the following criteria:

  • Diverticulosis: presence of colonic diverticula in the absence of abdominal symptoms.
  • SUDD: recurrent abdominal symptoms as abdominal pain and/or changes in bowel habit, attributed to diverticula in the absence of overt inflammation.5-7
  • Previous diverticulitis (PD): patients who have experienced at least one episode of acute diverticulitis in the past.

The number of new cases of SUDD, diverticulitis, and recurrence of diverticulitis after 1 year of follow-up was evaluated. Patients were allowed to continue their therapy, if any. Logistic regression (adjusted for age <60 years, sex, BMI ≥25 kg/m2, Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥3, gastrointestinal comorbidities, family history for diverticular disease, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antiplatelet, anticoagulants, proton pumps inhibitors, and statins) was performed to identify patient features associated with new occurrence of SUDD and diverticulitis.

RESULTS

A total of 1,217 patients (556 [45.7%] female, mean age: 66.1±9.9 years, BMI: 26.1±3.9 kg/m2) with a baseline diagnosis of diverticulosis (57.9%), SUDD (24.7%), and PD (17.4%) were included in the study. At 12 months, 922 patients (53.1%, 29.8%, and 17.1% with diverticulosis, SUDD, and PD, respectively) were followed; 11.9% of patients were lost at follow-up and data of 15.5% were not up to date.

During follow-up, 33 (6.3%) baseline diverticulosis patients developed SUDD and 4 (0.7%) developed diverticulitis (1 perforation), 4 (1.6%) baseline SUDD patients developed diverticulitis (no complications), and 14 (9.4%) patients who entered with PD developed a recurrence of diverticulitis (including 3 patients with complications such as perforation, abscess, and stenosis). The median time from the first episode of diverticulitis to recurrence was 4.5 years (0.003–15.04); no patients required surgery. The main characteristics of patients who developed diverticulitis are reported in Table 1. Logistic regression showed that the female sex was associated with subjects who changed subgroup from diverticulosis to SUDD (odds ratio: 2.26; 95% confidence interval: 0.97-5.22; p=0.05, barely missed). No features associated with recurrence of diverticulitis could be identified.

Table 1: Main characteristics of patients who developed diverticulitis.

CONCLUSION

These preliminary data show that, during an observation period of 1 year, progression from diverticulosis to SUDD occurred in <10% patients, and was associated with female sex. The overall incidence of diverticulitis was very low (2.3%), whereas recurrent diverticulitis was not uncommon. This observational study showed that, although the vast majority of patients did not show progression of disease, diverticulitis recurrence represents an important clinical challenge.

References
Shahedi K et al. Long-term risk of acute diverticulitis among patients with incidental diverticulosis found during colonoscopy. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;11(12):1609-13. Parks TG. Natural history of diverticular disease of the colon. A review of 521 cases. Br Med J. 1969;4(5684):639-42. Salem TA et al. Prospective, five-year follow-up study of patients with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease. Dis Colon Rectum. 2007;50(9):1460-4. Gruppo Italiano Malattia Diverticolare. Registro Malattia Diverticolare (Registry of Diverticular Disease) (REMAD). NCT03325829. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03325829. Cuomo R et al. Italian consensus conference for colonic diverticulosis and diverticular disease. United European Gastroenterol J. 2014;2(5):413-42. Cuomo R et al. Symptom patterns can distinguish diverticular disease from irritable bowel syndrome. Eur J Clin Invest. 2013;43(11):1147-55. Barbara G et al. Gut microbiota, metabolome and immune signatures in patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease. Gut. 2017;66(7):1252-61.

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