Rectum
The rectum is empty on examination with no fissures, and he passes stool when you remove your finger.
What our notes say
- The rectum is empty on examination with no fissures, and he passes stool when you remove your finger. (Paediatrics end of 2nd semester exam (MBPE 4300): 5 October 2021, 50 MCQs)
- The empty rectum with a gush of stool on withdrawal, onset from birth and distension describe Hirschsprung disease, where ganglion cells are missing from the bowel wall. (Paediatrics end of 2nd semester exam (MBPE 4300): 5 October 2021, 50 MCQs)
- Ulcerative colitis is continuous from the rectum, though "backwash ileitis" can confuse the picture. (Internal Medicine 4th Year 1st Semester CAT: HIV and the gut, liver disease and )
- You feel a mass in the abdomen, and the rectum is empty. (Paediatrics Year 4 MBChB end of semester CAT: triage, newborn care, growth and d)
- Ulcerative colitis always involves the rectum, so bloody diarrhoea is typical. (Paediatrics end of second semester exam (MBPE 4300): 4 October 2022, cardiology,)
- Ulcerative colitis is mucosal, starts in the rectum and carries a higher cancer risk. (Paediatrics main exam (MBPE 4300): 24 January 2022, Paper One, 100 MCQs, 2 short)
Study material on Rectum
- GASTROINTESTINAL PATHOLOGY (Part 2)
- MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY II ESsays
- END YEAR PP1 & PP2 2025 Physiology: MCQs for Medical School Exams
- Paediatrics end of 2nd semester exam (MBPE 4300): 5 October 2021, 50 MCQs
- Gastrointestinal and liver
Practice questions on Rectum
A 61-year-old man has a screening colonoscopy performed. A 2.7 cm polypoid mass in the rectum is biopsied and diagnosed as grade I on a scale of I to III, and assessed as stage I disease. Which of the following is the best interpretation of these findings in this man?
- Unlikely to be malignant
- Arising from epithelium
- May spread via lymphatics and bloodstream
- Has an in situ component
- Well-differentiated and localized
Answer: E. A well-differentiated (low grade) and localized (lower stage) malignant neoplasm often has both a low grade and low stage. In such cases surgery to excise the lesion is more likely to be curative. ---