[Usefulness of fiber-sigmoidoscopy in diagnosis of bleeding from the lower part of the digestive tract].

Out of 1000 consecutive fiber-sigmoidoscopic examinations performed using the CF-P 10 S flexible recto-sigmoidoscope, 350 examinations carried out in patients with overt rectal bleeding were subjected to analysis. Among other, 132 cases of haemorrhoids, 47 cases of proctitis, 64 cases of ulcerative colitis, 39 cases of cancer and 37 cases of adenomatous polyps were diagnosed. Only in nearly 3% of cases the examination failed to provide diagnostic conclusions. In 13.4% of cases fiber-sigmoidoscopy failed to show any lesion which led to further diagnostic management (coloscopy and/or large intestine X-ray examination). The usefulness is stressed of fiber-sigmoidoscopy in the diagnosis of bleeding from the lower part of the digestive tract as well as the need for its possibly early performance as the first examination in each case of rectal bleeding.