Sigmoidoscopy (Anoscopy, Proctoscopy)

Anoscopy, Flexible Sigmoidoscopy, Proctoscopy

What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

• Stool in the colon or rectum.
• The structure of the colon, such as a colon that has many turns.
• A barium enema done within a week before sigmoidoscopy.
• Rectal bleeding.

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Author:	Monica Rhodes	Last Updated: April 30, 2009
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology
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