Background/summary: Acute colonic diverticular hemorrhage (CDH) represents a significant challenge for gastroenterologists. There are some clinical problems in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CDH. CDH is the most common cause of overt lower gastrointestinal bleeding in adults in Eastern and Western countries. Moreover, CDH imposes significant economic and clinical burdens on the health care system. Colonoscopy is recommended as a useful diagnostic tool for CDH after bowel preparation. Colonoscopy can be used to identify the culprit diverticulum and to provide endoscopic therapy. In most cases, however, the bleeding stops spontaneously. For this reason, it is still controversial whether urgent colonoscopy or elective colonoscopy is "preferable."
Key messages: This review aims to highlight the various clinical problems (purge, timing of colonoscopy, CT angiography, and endoscopy) encountered in the attempt to identify and treat the culprit diverticulum red-handed.
Keywords: Bowel preparation; CT angiography; Colonic diverticular hemorrhage; Colonoscopy.