The Resemblance of Diverticular Disease of the Colon to a Myostatic Contracture

Abstract

In general appearance and in part of its behaviour, the colon in diverticular disease superficially resembles a myostatic contracture. This comparison of a disease of smooth muscle of unknown aetiology with an ill-understood syndrome affecting striated muscle is of value at this moment only to isolate the problems that remain and to suggest lines of future enquiry.