Diverticular disease in Africans: myth or fact?

Abstract

Diverticulosis coli is an acquired disease of the colon where small outpouchings of the colonic mucosa occur due to mucosal herniation of the colonic wall at sites of vascular perforation. The disease is very common in developed countries and its prevalence increases with age. Risk factors for its development include inadequate dietary intake of fiber, abnormal colonic motility, and elevated pressures within the colon. Studies done in the late 1900s showed that this disease was unknown in the African population who are known to consume a lot of fiber in their diet. With urbanization in the African population, the prevalence of this disease has somewhat increased over the years. Just how common is this condition among African people? This chapter will review the literature regarding this condition in Indigenous Africans.