Blood in Stool

Presence of blood in stool is an important diagnostic indicator that may suggest various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Blood can be visible or detected only by laboratory tests (occult blood).

• Absent: normal result, indicating no gastrointestinal bleeding.
• Occult blood: detected through laboratory tests. It may indicate:
  • Peptic ulcer disease of the stomach or duodenum,
  • Polyps and tumors of the intestine,
  • Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis,
  • Hemorrhoids (early stage),
  • Parasitic infections (e.g., hookworm).
• Visible blood:
  • Bright red blood indicates bleeding in the lower intestine (rectum, sigmoid colon), hemorrhoids, or anal fissures.
  • Dark or black (tarry stool, melena) indicates bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract (stomach, small intestine), possibly due to ulcer or erosive gastritis.

Detection of blood in stool requires careful evaluation and may necessitate additional investigations (colonoscopy, gastroscopy, blood tests). Self-diagnosis and self-treatment are unacceptable.