Hematochezia causes
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
In adults, the most common causes are hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, both of which are relatively benign; however, it can also be caused by colorectal cancer. In a newborn infant (neonate), hematochezia may be the result of swallowed maternal blood at the time of delivery, but can also be an initial symptom of necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious condition affecting premature infants. In adolescents and young adults, inflammatory bowel disease, particularly ulcerative colitis, is a serious cause of hematochezia that must be considered and excluded.
Hematochezia can be due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding. However, as the blood from such a bleeding is usually chemically modified by action of acid and enzymes, it presents more commonly as melena.
Causes
The lower part of the GI tract will usually cause maroon or bright red, bloody stools due to:
- Anal fissures
- Bowel ischemia (when blood supply is cut off to part of the intestines)
- Colon polyps or colon cancer
- Diverticulosis (abnormal pouches in the colon)
- Hemorrhoids (common cause)
- Inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)
- Intestinal infection (such as bacterial enterocolitis)
- Small bowel tumor
- Trauma or foreign body
- Vascular malformation (abnormal collections of blood vessels called arteriovenous malformations or AVMs)