Diverticulitis: Symptoms, Development, and Immunosuppression

Module 1 Assignment: Case Study Analysis
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Introduction
Diverticulitis is a condition where small bulging pouches form in the colon and become infected and inflamed. The condition is called diverticulosis when the pouches (diverticula) are not painful, infected, or inflamed. Diverticula develop when weak areas of the colon protrude due to pressure. Patients with diverticulitis have a high risk of developing colon cancer (Mortensen et al., 2017). After treating acute diverticulitis, patients should undergo colonoscopy to rule out colorectal malignancies. People of African American descent with diverticulitis and above the age of fifty are more likely to develop colon cancer (El-Sayed et al., 2018).  
Why the Patient Presented the Symptoms Described
The patient, in this case, presented with symptoms including crampy left lower quadrant pain, constipation, and fever. In most adults, pain in the left lower quadrant is caused by diverticulitis on the sigmoid or descending colon. Ruptures on the bulging diverticula result in inflammation and infection, which causes the patient severe pain (Kamal et al., 2019). Constipation is a significant risk factor for the onset and development of diverticulosis (Hall et al., 2020). Patients with chronic diverticulitis experience inflammation, which may cause bowel obstruction, resulting in constipation. In addition, scar tissue may form on the infected diverticula, causing partial or total colon blockage. The scarring prevents stool from passing through, hence constipation (Strate & Morris, 2019). The patient presented with fever as a result of infection.
Pain on the left lower quadrant and constipation are also symptoms of colon cancer, and in most cases, patients are treated for diverticulitis instead. Presence of polyps in the colon blocks passage of stool, causing constipation.
Genes that may be associated with the Development of the Disease
Genes help ensure normal cell division and DNA replication. Genetic mutation in one or several genes leads to uncontrolled growth, resulting in cancer. The protein component of genes helps to correct irregularities that may arise from DNA replication. Genes that have mutated cannot correct the replication abnormalities, leading to damage in the DNA composition, which results in colon cancer. The genes primarily involved in the...