[Role of colonoscopy in the diagnosis and management of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage].

The purpose of he study was to analyze the role of the Colonoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of low intestinal hemorrhages. We studied retrospectively all patients with Hematochezia, seen by the author, from april 1984 to december 1997. We studied the clinical symptoms, causes, localizations of the bleeding and the treatment applied, either endoscopic or surgical. We also reviewed the security and tolerance of the procedure. We could detect without doubt the cause in 74 patients (51.7%), including patients with multiple colon diverticulum, where the bleeding is sometimes very difficult to detect. We concluded that the Colonoscopy is the best method to find the source of bleeding in the lower portion of the colon. The procedure is well tolerated and safe in elderly patients.