Aetiology in an adult
Common causes of a lower GI bleed include:
- angiodysplasia
- diverticular disease
- colonic carcinoma or polyp
- haemorrhoids
- rectal trauma e.g. biopsy
Less common causes include:
- anal fissure
- massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding
- inflammatory bowel disease
- ischaemic colitis
- Meckel's diverticulum
- hookworm, particularly in the tropics
- infective colitis e.g. campylobacter
- solitary ulcer of rectum
Reference
- Oakland K, Chadwick G, East JE, et al. Diagnosis and management of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding: guidelines from the British Society of Gastroenterology. Gut. 2019 May;68(5):776-89.
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