• Antonio Tursi.
• Gastroenterology Service, ASL BAT , Via Torino 49, 76123 Andria (BT) , Italy +39 0883 551094 ; +39 0883 1978210 ; antotursi@tiscali.it.
• Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2014 May 1; 15 (7): 1005-17.

IntroductionDiverticular disease (DD) of the colon is a widespread disease, which shows worldwide increasing incidence and represents a significant burden for National Health Systems. The current guidelines claim that symptomatic uncomplicated DD (SUDD) has to be treated with spasmolithics and high-fiber diet, whereas both uncomplicated and complicated acute diverticulitis has to be treated with antibiotics. However, new physiopathological knowledge suggests that further treatment may be promising.Areas CoveredPathogenetic and treatment studies on SUDD and acute diverticulitis published in PubMed, www.clinicaltrials.gov , and in the main International Congress were reviewed.Expert OpinionAlthough absorbable antibiotics and 5-aminosalycilic acid seem to be effective in treating SUDD, their role in preventing diverticulitis recurrence is still under debate. Antibiotic use in managing acute diverticulitis is at least questionable, and use of probiotics seems to be promising but need further robust studies to confirm the preliminary results.

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