The role of sigmoidoscopy and rectal biopsy in diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disease: personal experience.

Conventional sigmoidoscopy and rectal biopsy are very useful in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management of inflammatory bowel disease. The rectal biopsy is particularly important in establishing the diagnosis of Crohn's disease when the rectal mucosa is grossly normal. The sigmoidoscopy and biopsy serve to assess the response to medical therapy in inflammatory bowel disease and are important adjuncts to colonoscopy in surveillance for dysplasia and carcinoma in patients with ulcerative colitis. Sigmoidoscopy is quick, requires no preparation, is cost effective, and the biopsies are extremely safe with the use of the cupped bronchoscopic forceps.