Etiology of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in children:a single center experience from southern iran.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to determine the common etiologies and characteristics of lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in children from Southern Iran. METHODS This five-year prospective cross-sectional study was performed from March 2006 to March 2011 in Nemazee Hospital. All pediatric patients (<18 years of age) who referred to our center with gross lower GI bleeding or two consecutive positive occult blood tests with at least a one-week interval were included in the study. Patients were categorized as neonates, infants, children and adolescents and the findings were reported separately in each group. Each patient underwent a colonoscopy and several mucosal biopsies were taken. Demographic and clinical information as well as colonoscopy and pathology findings were reported. RESULTS Overall, we included 363 pediatric patients with a mean age of 71.9±58.4 months (range: 1-216 months). There were 215 (59.2%) boys and 148 (40.8%) girls. The most common colonoscopy findings were sigmoid colon polyp in 91 (25.1%) patients followed by descending colon petechia in 78 (21.5%) patients, whitish rectal lesions in 45 (12.4%) patients, and sigmoid and rectal ulcers in 37 (10.2%) patients. Biopsy samples were non-specific in 96 (26.4%) patients. The most common pathological findings were juvenile polyp in 84 (23.1%) followed by lymphoid nodular hyperplasia in 55 (15.2%) and solitary rectal ulcers in 25 (6.9%) patients.