[Advantages and limits of rigid rectosigmoidoscope and flexible colonoscope in childhood]

During the past ten years 220 pediatric proctosigmoidoscopies with the rigid instrument in 182 infants and children, and 71 colonoscopies in 62, were performed. Advantages and limits of these two instruments are discussed. The indications and results of the different procedures are presented. Positive diagnoses were obtained in 81% with both techniques while the histological examination was positive in 85% of specimens obtained by colonoscopy and only in 51% of the proctosigmoidoscopical ones. Colonoscopy has increasingly became a complementary method for colonic pathology in children, in comparison with adult medicine, however, pediatric indications have been handled mostly with the shorter instrument for two main reasons: 1) Pediatric colonic pathology affects predominantely the lower tract; 2) Neoplastic lesions, in which total colonoscopy with biopies at different levels is mandatory, are extremely rare in children.