[Colonoscopy and "hot" biopsy. Its value in vascular ectasias of the colon]

According to Gerald Rogers et. al., we believe about the usefulness of colonoscopy and endoscopic biopsy using Williams' forcep (hot biopsy forcep) for the diagnosis and final treatment of colon vascular ectasias. This method should be used immediately after the hemorrhage has finished. Angiography is prescribed when: 1) endoscopy suggests or confirm the presence of vascular ectasias in order to establish the degree of lesions and the therapeutic management. 2) When the caecum cannot be reached by the colonoscope. 3) When endoscopy is negative and there is firm clinic assumption of ectasias but the colonoscopic study has been done to much later after the bleeding stopped. Selective angiography would be the first prescription in case of bleeding which doesn't stop quickly with the necessity of immediate therapeutic measures taking into account the difficulties of intrahemorrhagic colonoscopy. Five cases are presented to support this point of view concerning the diagnosis of vascular ectasias of the right colon and considerations are made about local treatment by mean of colonoscopy and hot biopsy forcep which, when it's possible, has less morbidity and mortality than surgery, specially in attention than this is an entity concerning elderly patients.