Rectal bleeding and implications

Rectal bleeding is a common occurrence and all cases need a complete evaluation. Commonest causes of bleeding and piles or anal fissure. However it is important to rule out cancer. In our local context, it is not uncommon for older people to present with massive rectal bleeding. This is an emergency and requires urgent investigation and treatment.

This CT scan shows contrast (in white ) in the left colon, panel a. This implies internal bleeding from with the colon. An angiogram, which is an xray procedure is used to stop bleeding in panels b & c.

Injection sclerotherapy, a technique used to treat diverticular bleeding of the colon. Using a colonoscopy, the visualised area of bleeding is injected with Tissue Glue to stop bleeding.

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