DIGITAL FRACTURE POLYPECTOMY FOR JUVENILE RECTAL POLYPS IS SAFE

Juvenile rectal polyps are a common cause of rectal bleeding in children. They are solitary in nearly two-thirds of cases and over half of them are located within 10 cm of the anal verge. The recommended method of treatment is excision under general anesthesia after suture ligation or endoscopic diathermy snaring(l,2). Children presenting with rectal bleeding must always undergo a rectal examination to exclude a juvenile polyp. While performing this examination we found that, on occasions, the polyp broke off with no subsequent problem. We were also aware that auto-amputation of the polyp may occur spontaneously. We were, therefore, convinced that digital fracture and extraction of these polyps should be safe and avoid the unnecessary risk of anesthesia, or the discomfort of sigmoidoscopy. Sixty consecutive cases (age 2-9 years)