Unmet needs in treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease and prevention of recurrent acute diverticulitis: a scoping review

Marilia Carabotti; Rosario Cuomo; Giovanni Marasco; Giovanni Barbara; Franco Radaelli; Bruno Annibale

doi:10.1177/17562848241255297

Unmet needs in treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease and prevention of recurrent acute diverticulitis: a scoping review

Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2024 May 27:17:17562848241255297. doi: 10.1177/17562848241255297. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Marilia Carabotti¹, Rosario Cuomo², Giovanni Marasco^{3

4}, Giovanni Barbara^{3

4}, Franco Radaelli⁵, Bruno Annibale⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, Rome 00185, Italy.
² UOC of Gastroenterology, AORN Sant'Anna e San Sebastiano, Caserta, Italy.
³ Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
⁴ IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
⁵ Gastroenterology Department, Valduce Hospital, Como, Italy.
⁶ Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Background: Diverticular disease (DD) represents a common gastrointestinal condition that poses a heavy burden on healthcare systems worldwide. A high degree of uncertainty surrounds the therapeutic approaches for the control of symptoms in patients with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) and primary and secondary prevention of diverticulitis and its consequences.

Objectives: To review the current knowledge and discuss the unmet needs regarding the management of SUDD and the prevention of acute diverticulitis.

Eligibility criteria: Randomized trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews on lifestyle/dietary interventions and medical treatment (rifaximin, mesalazine, and probiotics) of SUDD or prevention of acute diverticulitis.

Sources of evidence: The literature search was performed from inception to April 2023, without language restriction, following the modified Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. References of the papers selected were checked to identify additional papers of potential interest. The final list of references was evaluated by a panel of experts, who were asked to check for any lack of relevant studies.

Charting methods: Information on patient population, study design, intervention, control group, duration of the observation, and outcomes assessed was collected by two authors independently.

Results: The review shows a high degree of uncertainty about therapeutic interventions, both dietary/lifestyle and pharmacological, in patients with SUDD, because of the scarcity and weakness of existing evidence. Available studies are generally of low quality, heterogeneous, and outdated, precluding the possibility to draw robust conclusions. Similarly, acute diverticulitis prevention has been seldom investigated, and there is a substantial lack of evidence supporting the role of dietary/lifestyle or pharmacological approaches to reduce the risk of diverticulitis.

Conclusion: The lack of robust evidence regarding therapeutic options for gastrointestinal symptoms in SUDD patients and for primary and secondary prevention of acute diverticulitis remains an important unmet need in the management of DD.

Keywords: diverticulitis; lifestyle intervention; mesalazine; probiotics; rifaximin; symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease.