Comparison of rigid and flexible fibreoptic sigmoidoscopy with double contrast barium enemas.

One hundred consecutive new patients attending a general surgical and gastrointestinal outpatient clinic had a flexible fibreoptic sigmoidoscopic examination before a double contrast barium enema. Colonic lesions were found in 45 patients and flexible sigmoidoscopy was superior to barium enemas in diagnosing lesions in the sigmoid colon. Two cancers, 1 histologically a Dukes' A lesion and 6 adenomatous polyps greater than 0.5 cm in diameter, in the sigmoid colon, were not detected by barium enemas. In 6 of these patients extensive diverticular disease was present. In patients with rectal bleeding found to have diverticular disease demonstrated radiographically, an endoscopic examination must be performed to exclude polyps or cancer. Flexible fibreoptic sigmoidoscopy may reduce the numbers needing barium enemas.