Introduction
Small bowel diverticula is a rare disease, with a reported incidence of
0.3-1.3% at autopsies and 2.0-2.3%
radiographically1. 61% of small bowel diverticula
occur in the jejunum2. These diverticula, which are
often many and located along the mesenteric border of the colon, are
produced by herniation of the mucosa and submucosa at loci where blood
vessels have pierced the gut wall.2 Diverticula are
more widespread in men than in women and become more prevalent with age,
peaking in the sixth and seventh decades of age. 3. In
addition to blood vessel penetration, there are several other postulated
mechanisms for the pathophysiology of the disease. It is believed to
occur as a result of a combination of intestinal dyskinesia caused by
abnormalities of the smooth muscle and myenteric plexus, and irregular
intestinal contractions that cause an increased segmental intraluminal
pressure4. Mortality rate ranges from 0-5%, but can increase to up to
40% in cases of perforation5