The Value of Colonoscopy in the Diagnosis of Bleeding Per Rectum in Adults Ibrahim Jamal Mohammed1,*, Sultan Awni Ismail2, Al-Atrakchi Hisham3 1Department of Surgery, Kirkuk General Hospital, Kirkuk, Iraq 2Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Tikrit, Tikrit, Iraq 3Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq *Corresponding author: Jamal Mohammed Ibrahim, Department of Surgery, Kirkuk General Hospital, Kirkuk, Iraq. Email: awnisutan@tu.edu.iq, Phone No: 00964-7703728686
Online published on 27 November, 2019. Abstract Background Bleeding from a site distal to ligament of Treitz considered lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding1. Annual incidence of this problem and mortality has been estimated to be 20%, and 11% respectively2. Patients complaining of bleeding per rectum are suspected of having lower GI bleeding and need to be diagnosed by the proper investigations. Aim To assess the role of colonoscopy in the evaluation and diagnosis of the causes of bleeding per rectum in adult patients at the department of surgery at Al-Jumhori Teaching Hospital. Setting Digestive Endoscopy Unit. Department of Surgery, in Al-Jumhori Teaching Hospital, Mosul, Iraq. Study period From the 1st of January 2013 to the 1st of March 2014 Study design Prospective study. Patients and Method All adult patients, with rectal bleeding, who had been referred to the GIT endoscopy unit, from surgical wards, surgical outpatients department, emergency unit, and private clinics, were included in this study. Patients prepared, and colonoscopy done by experienced endoscopists, and findings standardized according to the data sheet. Results One hundred and sixteen patients who had undergone colonoscopy, were included in this study, 76(65.5%) of them were males and 40(34.4%) were females. Mean age was 44 years ranging from (16–80) years. Mean duration of symptoms(bleeding) was 6.65 months ranging from (1–24)months. Colonoscopy done for all patients, and showed that 30 cases(25.86%) had normal colon, 27 cases (23.2%) internal piles and 23 cases (19.8%) inflammatory bowel conditions(specific and nonspecific). Conclusion Colonoscopy has a high diagnostic yield (74.13%), and a safe procedure in well trained hands. Hemorrhoids were the most common cause of bleeding per rectum in our population, followed by inflammatory conditions then colorectal cancer. Top Keywords Lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT), Colonoscopy, Hemorrhoids. Top |