الملخص

ABSTRACT Objectives: To determine the causes of bleeding per rectum in patients undergoing flexible colorectal endoscopy, taking in consideration the frequency of serious causes in our locality, and to compare the results with others. Patients and methods: A retrospective descriptive study done at Al-Salam Teaching Hospital, endoscopy unit, Mosul, Iraq. One hundred and eighty five patients underwent flexible colorectal endoscopy between January 2008 and December 2011 complaining of bleeding per rectum, biopsies were taken from lesions and sent for histopathology then the findings were tabulated and recorded. Results: One hundred and eighty five patients, with mean age of 44 years, and a male:female ratio of 2.36:1. One hundred and twenty patients (64.86%) had hemorrhoids, 10 patients (5.4%) had hemorrhoids and fissure in ano, 20 patients (10.8%) had carcinoma, 14 patients (7.5%) with inflammatory bowel disease, 9 patients (4.8%) with non-specific proctitis and colitis, 9 patients (4.8%) had polyps, 2 patients (1.1%) with solitary rectal ulcer, and 1 patient (0.5%) had benign tumor. Conclusion: An appreciable number of serious lesions was found in patients with rectal bleeding especially in those above 40 years of age. Keywords: Rectal bleeding, sigmoid-colonoscopy.