Jessica is 60 years old and comes in for a physical examination. During the examination, the patient mentions that she happened to notice some red in her stool and she is concerned it might be blood. Which of the following diagnosis might cause this?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer can cause blood in stool. A red appearance of blood usually indicates new blood, which would be coming from the lower end of the digestive tract. Irritation and bleeding from the upper digestive tract is less likely to show as the classic "bright red" blood appearance because the blood has been processed through the digestive tract and the cells are no longer fully intact

Jessica Is 60 Years Old and Comes in for a Physical