Question
A five-year-old girl often finds blood-like substances in her stool during bowel movements, but the results of a barium enema examination did not show any abnormalities, and the results of the surgical examination were also normal. The girl does not feel any pain and has not yet undergone a colonoscopy. What is the most ideal examination method for this condition, and is this situation severe?
Answer
Pediatric hematochezia can occur at any age, with common causes including intestinal polyps and congenital intestinal developmental abnormalities. Different diseases can lead to hematochezia at different age stages. If the primary disease causing hematochezia in children and adolescents is not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, severe complications such as intestinal obstruction and perforation may occur, affecting the child’s physical and mental health as well as their academic performance. The key examination for determining the cause and location of hematochezia is fiber colonoscopy (also known as colonoscopy).