Diverticulitis in the young patient-Is it different

Table 1 Demographic data and co-morbidities of study subjects

Age (yr)	< 45n = 25 (%)	>45n = 182 (%)	P value
Gender (M/F)	19/6	61/121	0.0001
Co-morbidities
Hypertension	1(4)	57 (31)	0.004
Hypothyroidism	0(0)	19 (10)	0.185
COPD	0(0)	10 (5.5)	0.481
Diabetes mellitus	0(0)	19 (10)	0185
Ischemic heart disease	0(0)	36 (20)	0.030
Hyperlipidemia	0(0)	17 (9)	0.227
Cholelithiasis	1(4)	11 (6)	0.682
Post appendectomy	4(16)	16 (8.8)	0.253
Post inguinal hernioplasty	3(12)	11 (6)	0.266
Malignancy	0(0)	7 (3)	0.684
Crohn's disease	1(4)	1 (0.5)	0.100
Chronic renal failure	0(0)	4 (2.2)	0.979

COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Table 2 Patients' complications during hospitalization

Age (yr)	< 45n = 25 (%)	>45n = 182 (%)	P value
Peri-diverticular air on CT	5 (20)	15 (8)	0.063
Abdominal abscess	2 (8)	4 (2)	0.150
Free perforation	1 (4)	5 (3)	0.540
Death	0 (0)	2 (1)	0.598
Total complication rate	8 (32)	24 (13)	0.030

Table 3 Patients' follow-up after discharge

Age (yr)	<45n = 21(%)	>45n = 159 (%)	P value
Operations following discharge	8 (38)	20 (13)	0.002
Recurrent diverticulitis (not operated)	2 (10)	20 (13)	0.688
Abdominal pain1	5 (24)	27 (17)	0.442
No further symptoms	6 (28)	87 (55)	0.024

¹Abdominal pain- pain more than 2 times per week that lasts for at least one hour.