Colonoscopy in the differential diagnosis of colonic strictures: report of four cases.

Colonoscopy was performed on ten patients who had colonic strictures demonstrated by barium-enema examination. In all cases the diagnosis of carcinoma had been considered, but it was confirmed by colonoscopic examination, cytology, and biopsies in only two patients. Five patients were shown to have benign inflammatory strictures due to ischemic colitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, irradiation colitis, or postoperative strictures. The remaining three patients were shown to have no intrinsic lesion. These eight patients were thereby spared further diagnostic procedures, and even unnecessary laparotomy.