SOLITARY RECTAL ULCER: CLINICO PATHOLOGICAL PROFILE OF A STUDY.

Eighteen rectal biopsies of eleven patients were histologically diagnosed as solitary rectal ulcer (SRU) during a period of three years. Their clinical and sigmoidoscopic features were analysed. Correct clinical diagnosis of SRU was made in only two out of eleven cases, the rest were diagnosed after sigmoidoscopy and biopsy. Presenting features were protean predominated by an altered bowel habit or bleeding per rectum. Sigmoidoscopically the location of the lesion varied from 6 to 12 cm from the anal verge. Anterior rectal wall was more commonly affected (10 out of 11 cases). Single rectal ulcer was found in 7 patients, other 4 showing multiple ulcers or polypoidal non-ulcerative lesions. Three patients required multiple biopsies. Prominent histological findings were obliteration of lamina propria by fibromuscular strands, splaying and hypertrophy of muscularis musosae as well as infiltrate in both these layers. The necessity of biopsy to diagnose SRU is stressed.