The common causes of fresh bleed in stools in infants and children are:
• Dysentery
• Anal fissure
• Rectal / colonic polyp
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Milk protein allergy
History, patient examination (including a P/R examination) and stool examination usually help in arriving at diagnosis of dysentery, fissure and low lying rectal polyp. If after initial treatment from pediatrician the symptoms persist, you should consult a pediatric gastroenterologist.
Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy may be required to diagnose above conditions. Flexible colonoscopy which examines whole of large intestine is preferred over rigid recto-sigmoidoscopy which tends to over look the disease in upper large intestine. Colonoscopy is also used to remove and cure polyps by snare polypectomy and cautery.
No comments:
Post a Comment