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(dÄ«'vÃ»r-tÄ­k'yÉ-lÉm) Plural diverticula. A pouch or sac branching out from a portion of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the large intestine. A diverticulum can occur as a normal structure, or it can be caused by a hernia.
Diverticulitis is an extremely common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine in elderly patients and develops from diverticulosis. Diverticulosis is characterized by the formation of pouches (diverticula) that bulge to the outside of the colon, through areas of weakness in the colonic wall.