Saturday, 10 October 2015

Gastroenterology Made Simple : Causes of Colonic Bleeding :



Angiodysplasia:

Also called as vascular ectasia

It occurs due to degenerative changes in walls of vessels in colon and also partly contributed by
intramuscular hypertrophy.

It occurs in old age and has association with Aortic stenosis.

Diagnosis can be made by Endoscopy and angiography.

Colon Carcinoma:

It usually causes painless bleeding.

It can involve both right and left side of colon.

Usually associated with weight loss and painless bleeding.

Can cause occult bleeding.

FOB stool test for occult blood can aid diagnosis

Haemorrhoids/Piles:

Can cause either painless or painful rectal bleeding.

They may be visible externally.

Can present with fresh blood per rectum.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

These include Ulcerative colitis and Crohn”s disease.

It causes lower GI bleeding associated with passage of mucus and pain in abdomen and raised inflammatory
markers.

There may be systemic involvement as well including fever and systemic symptoms.

Diagnosis is made by Endoscopy with biopsy and barium enema that shows characteristic findings.

They can get complicated causing : Cancer,perforation and toxic megacolon.

Treatment is mainly with Surgery



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