PROCTOSCOPIC DOPPLER ULTRASOUND IN DIAGNOSTICS AND TREATMENT OF BLEEDING HEMORRHOIDS

PURPOSE: Endoscopic Doppler sonography is a relatively new technique i n the diagnostics of intestinal hemorrhage. It has been used mainly fo r bleeding gastroduodenal ulcers, but can also be utilized in the lowe r digestive tract. METHODS: In the study presented 80 patients with sy mptomatic hemorrhoids of first degree and previous hemorrhage were ran domized in two groups. The 40 patients in Group A were examined by tra nsproctoscopic Doppler ultrasound. After measuring the vessels depth, local injection treatment with 5 percent phenol almond oil followed. T he patients in Group B had been given conventional sclerotherapy witho ut the aid of Doppler investigation. The success of treatment was chec ked using Doppler sonographics six weeks later and the results were st atistically compared. RESULTS: In the patients in Group A, the hemorrh oids proved to be totally eliminated in 93 percent vs. 38 percent of t he patients in Group B (P, 0.1 percent). CONCLUSIONS: Proctoscopic Dop pler ultrasound is useful in the evaluation and sclerotherapy of sympt omatic first-degree hemorrhoids.