Rectal bleeding in Egyptian children

• Published in: Annals of tropical paediatrics 2006-12, Vol.26 (4), p.337-344
• Main Authors: El-Khayat, Hamed A., El-Hodhod, Mostafa A., Abd El-Basset, Fatma Z., Tomoum, Hoda Y., El-Safory, Hisham A., Hamdy, Ahmed M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Age Factors; Bacterial Infections - complications; Bacterial Infections - diagnosis; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Chronic Disease; Colitis - complications; Colitis - diagnosis; Diagnostic Techniques, Digestive System; Diarrhea - complications; Enterocolitis - complications; Enterocolitis - diagnosis; Epidemiology; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage - etiology; General aspects; Humans; Infant; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - complications; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - diagnosis; Intestinal Polyps - complications; Intestinal Polyps - diagnosis; Male; Medical sciences; Other diseases. Semiology; Prospective Studies; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Rectum; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus
• ISSN: 0272-4936; 2046-9047; 1465-3281; 2046-9055
• DOI: 10.1179/146532806X152863

Aim: In a prospective study to outline the aetiology of bleeding per rectum (BPR) in Egyptian infants and children, a subsidiary aim was to define some of the clinical characteristics of the different aetiologies. Subjects and methods: 194 children with BPR are described. The diagnostic work-up included laboratory investigations, radiological and endoscopic assessment, radio-isotope scanning, angiography and histopathological examination of mucosal biopsies, as appropriate. Results: Ages ranged from 3 to 192 months with a mean (SD) of 49.8 (43.5). Infectious enterocolitis was the most common cause (37.1%). Others included colorectal polyps (21.1%), chronic colitis (16%) including inflammatory bowel diseases (5.2%), allergic colitis (2.6%), solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (1.5%) and non-specific colitis (6.7%). Intussusception and Meckel's diverticulae were the cause in 7.3% and 2.6%, respectively, while other aetiologies included vascular (6.2%), systemic (3.6%), local anal (3.1%) and upper gastro-intestinal causes (1.5%). In 1.5% of cases, the cause remained 'obscure'. Conclusion: In Egyptian children, infectious enterocolitis followed by colorectal polyps and chronic colitis are major causes of BPR.