title: [The main indications for lower endoscopies].
abstract: There are three main groups of indications of lower digestive tract endoscopy: (1) endoscopy may be performed to detect adenomatous polyps and thus prevent colorectal cancer by systematic excision of these polyps before they become invasive malignancies; (2) it may also be performed in patients whose symptoms (e.g. pain, diarrhoea or anaemia) may be due to a lesion of the colon. It usually provides evidence of such diseases as colorectal adenocarcinoma, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, pseudomembranous colitis, post-irradiation colitis, collagen colitis, ischaemic colitis or colonic angiodysplasia; (3) finally, emergency endoscopy can be used in case of rectal haemorrhage, where it is often completed by haemostasis, or in case of volvulus, where it removes the occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Service des maladies de l'appareil digestif, hôpital de Rangueil, Toulouse.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Escourrou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delvaux
mesh_terms: D003092:Colitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D003113:Colonoscopy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis