Occult blood can have various causes, just like most other symptoms. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose occult blood, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Colon Cancer | 90% | Confirm |
Crohn's Disease | 24% | Unlikely |
Stomach Ulcers | 21% | Unlikely |
Ulcerative Colitis | 3% | Ruled out |
Carcinoid Cancer | 3% | Ruled out |
Stomach Cancer | 1% | Ruled out |
Rectal Cancer | 0% | Ruled out |
Small Intestine Cancer | 0% | Ruled out |
Occult blood. Have lab tests found blood in your stool within the past 6 months?
Possible responses:
→ Not tested within past 6 months / don't know→ No, stool tested negative → In the past only, now resolved → Yes, trace or small amounts → Yes, enough for doctor to be concerned |