The first study appraising colonic diverticulosis and Helicobacter pylori diagnosed by histopathology

Abstract

Objective: Colonic diverticulosis might be caused by low-fiber dietary habits, gastrointestinal motility disorders, and colonic wall resistance changes, which might also affect the upper gastrointestinal system mucosa. Therefore, the present study aims to answer whether the gastric histopathological findings of the cases with diverge from those without.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 184 cases who underwent both upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures between January 2020 and December 2022. Notably, 84 cases were colonic diverticulosis, while the rest of the study group was control. Their demographic, laboratory, and histopathological findings were compared meticulously.

Results: The median ages for the colonic diverticulosis and control were 67.07±8.14 and 66.29±15.83 years, respectively, and no statistical difference concerning the age and gender distribution between them was recognized. The median levels of white blood cells, neutrophils, glucose, creatinine, and aspartate aminotransferase in colonic diverticulosis were significantly increased compared to control. As for pathological comparison, colonic diverticulosis had a higher prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (45.2 vs. 38%), while atrophy and intestinal metaplasia prevalence were nearly the same in the groups, without significance regarding Helicobacter pylori.

Conclusion: Consequently, colonic diverticulosis should not be overlooked, particularly when the abovementioned laboratory parameters are augmented in a dyspeptic patient. A correlation might be raised between Helicobacter pylori and colonic diverticulosis. Eradication therapy might help attenuate the risk of colonic diverticulosis when Helicobacter pylori has emerged in a patient.

Figure 1. (A) and (B) The endoscopic photographs exhibiting diverticula identified in different colon segments diagnosed with colonic diverticulosis. (C) A microphotograph revealing intestinal metaplasia in colonic diverticulosis, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain, original magnification, 40×. (D) A microphotograph revealing Helicobacter pylori positivity in colonic diverticulosis, Warthin-Starry (WS) stain, original magnification, 40×.