Sixty-nine per cent of a group of children with chronic mucoid diarrhoea who would not normally be seen in a tertiary health care facility had endoscopically demonstrable abnormality in the distal bowel, especially in the distal rectum. Sigmoidoscopy and punch biopsy of the rectum are safe procedures which can be undertaken in primary health care facilities. The inclusion of such investigations will facilitate the elucidation of the aetiology of chronic mucoid diarrhoea.