Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding

Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding often presents a challenging clinical situation. Bleeding may be severe and associated with significant haemodynamic compromise, and yet usually stops spontaneously. The causes are various, and the bleeding source may be difficult to identify, even with sophisticated diagnostic methods. Colonoscopy, mesenteric angiography and radionuclide scintigraphy offer a choice of diagnostic tool. Intervention is occasionally required; the options include therapeutic colonoscopy, super-selective embolization and surgery.