[Findings in 1000 colonoscopies at a county hospital. A prospective study]

1,000 colonoscopies were registered in a specially designed database. The database software secured complete registrations. We present the diagnostic results according to symptoms and pattern of bleeding. One third of the colonoscopies were routine examinations of malignant or benign neoplasms and ulcerative colitis. We found malignancy to be much more frequent in newly referred patients than in the routine control group. Pathology was found in particular in patients with overt or occult lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Colonoscopy should be a primary diagnostic procedure in the event of lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding. The authors discuss the benefit of routine colonoscopic follow-up of neoplasms and ulcerative colitis.