Spectrum of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage: an endoscopic study of 166 patients.
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1993-10-01
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: The spectrum of lesions causing lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage shows marked geographic variation. The study was aimed to determine this spectrum in our region using endoscopic examination.
METHODS: 166 patients presenting with lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage were investigated using colonoscopy as the first investigation.
RESULTS: Lesions responsible for bleeding could be identified in 141 patients (84.9%). In 25 patients (15.1%), the etiology of bleed could not be determined either because of failure to identify a lesion (10 patients) or because of an incomplete examination (15 patients). Major causes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding included idiopathic ulcerative colitis (19.3%), acute colitis (12.0%), colonic polyps (10.2%), radiation colitis (9.0%), solitary rectal ulcer (7.8%), colonic carcinoma (7.2%), colonic tuberculosis (4.2%) and enteric fever (3.0%).
CONCLUSION: Endoscopic examination is very useful in evaluating patients with lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The predominant causes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in our experience are different from those reported from western countries.
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Goenka MK, Kochhar R, Mehta SK. Spectrum of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage: an endoscopic study of 166 patients. Indian Journal of Gastroenterology. 1993 Oct; 12(4): 129-31