Introduction: Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is bleeding
arising below the ligament of Treitz. The epidemiology of (LGIB)
in western populations has been well documented in multiple
studies, but there are scant reports about this condition in Egypt.
We tried to through highlights on the causes and outcomes of
such cases. Methods: This prospective study was conducted on
all adult patients presented to the hepatology and Gastroentrology
unit, specialized medical hospital, Mansoura Univ. with LGIB during
the period from 1/1/2016 to 31/12/2016. The results: A total of
193 cases was included in the study consisting of 112 (58%)
males and 81 (42%) females, with a median age of 43 years.
Most patients were outpatients (116, 60%), or inpatients (68,
35%), while (9, 5%) were referred from other centers. the
commonest comorbidities were hypertension (38, 19.7%) and
diabetes mellitus (15, 7.8%). The commonest associated drug
was anti-platelet (16, 8.3%). Cases were presented by
hematochezia (172, 89.1%), iron deficiency anaemia (15, 7.8%),
melena (3, 1.6%) and occult lower GIT bleeding (3, 1.6%). The
most common causes were colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in 33
patients (17.1%), ulcerative colitis (UC) in 32 patients (16.6%),
infectious colitis in 29 patients, (15%), piles in 29 patients (15%)
and diverticulosis in 19 patients (9.8%). Only 2 patients were
haemodynamically unstable and were candidates for urgent
colonoscopy and 10 patients needed transfusion of packed red
blood cells before intervention. 62 patients needed surgical
consultation for their cause of bleeding. Conclusion: Our
research showed that CRC, UC, infectious colitis, piles and
diverticulosis were the most common causes of LGIB among our
study cases, with men more predisposed to LGIB than women.
These findings are broadly different from those reported in
western populations.