ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently, due to the adoption of a Western lifestyle, the incidence of colonic diverticulosis is increasing in the Korean population. The purpose of this study is to review the prevalence and clinical characteristics of colonic diverticulosis as diagnosed by a colonoscopic examination. METHODS: We retrospectely analyzed the medical records of 3,352 patients that had undergone a colonoscopy from 1 January 2002 to 31 July 31 2005. We recorded the extent (1, 2~5, 6>) and the location of a diverticulum. We also reviewed the medical records of the patients that had symptoms and other clinical features. RESULTS: A total of 2,831 patients were selected. The overall prevalence of colonic diverticulosis was 10.1%; the mean patient age was 53+/-11 years and the ratio of males to females was 2.3:1. A diverticulum occurred more frequently in the right side colon (79.0%) than the left side colon (13.9%). The most common symptom was abdominal pain (63.5%). Complications were diverticulitis (2.0%) and bleeding (0.3%). The prevalence of a colon polyp was 39.1% and the prevalence of a fatty liver was 26.4% in the diverticular patients. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of colonic diverticulosis is increasing in the Korean population and a diverticulum occurred more frequently in the right side colon.