Who to believe- Goljan or BRS Path?

[WhoisJohnGalt]

From Goljan p. 354: "Most common cause of hematochezia refers to diverticulOSIS not diverticulITIS, scarring of the vessel in diverticulitis prevents bleeding."

From BRS Path p. 228: "DiverticulOSIS... most often asymptomatic or associated with vague discomfort.", "DiverticulITIS... Bright red bleeding is frequent"

Can someone clear this up for me definitively? Thanks!

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[deleted50541]

I believe they're both correct, but BRS path not entirely. It is true that diverticul-OSIS is typically an asymptomatic condition, yet also a leading cause of hematochezia. With diverticul-ITIS, patients can still have occult blood in their stool, but it happens in less than a third of patients because of the scarring as Goljan explains.