THE MEDICAL Sciences Division of the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine examines test pilots and astronaut candidates and evaluates flying personnel in whom there is some question of physical qualifications for flying duties. In all of the former and many of the latter, sigmoidoscopic examinations have been done, and the patients are thus presented as a group of predominately healthy young men in whom no real clinical indications for the procedure exist. From our findings of polypoid lesions and review of the pertinent literature, we wish to make certain recommendations (Table 1).
"Symptoms" are those reported in the aeromedical survey questionnaire and elaborated upon by the referring physician or the proctological examiner. In the main, they consist of minor bright red rectal bleeding associated with straining and constipated stools, pruritus ani, thrombosed hemorrhoids in the past, or occasional history of anal operations for fissure or hemorrhoids. In