[Epidemiology and etiology of acute digestive hemorrhage in France].

The epidemiology of gastrointestinal bleedings is poorly known in France. The principal source of bleeding comes from upper gastrointestinal tract. The most common etiology of upper gastrointestinal bleeding is peptic ulcer. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs absorption is frequently associated with ulcer bleeding. The second most frequent etiology is variceal hemorrhage, complicating mostly alcoholic cirrhosis. The causes of lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding are more difficult to detect. The major causes are: colonic diverticula, angiodysplasias, traumatic ulcers of the rectum, colorectal carcinomas and colitis. In children, peptic ulcers and varices are the two main causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Etiologies of lower gastrointestinal bleeding are varying according to the age: juvenile polyposis in children less than 6 years and Meckel's diverticulum after 6 years.