From 1974 to 1978, 53 colonoscopies were performed in 48 children aged from four months to 15 years using conventional fiberscopes. The majority of examinations were performed under light general anesthesia. The main indications were rectal bleeding and inflammatory bowel disease. Accuracy of barium enema in detecting polyps in this group of patients was unsatisfactory. Because of the precision of diagnosis and the possibility of simultaneous treatment of colonic polyps provided by colonoscopy, it was performed without prior radiologic examination in some children with significant rectal bleeding.
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