Hematochezia
Hematochezia is a medical term that refers to the passage of fresh blood through the anus, usually in or with stools. This is in contrast to melena, which is the passage of old, tarry black, digested blood. Hematochezia is commonly associated with lower gastrointestinal bleeding, but may also occur from a brisk upper gastrointestinal bleed.
Causes[edit | edit source]
The causes of hematochezia are numerous and varied. They include:
- Diverticular disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Anal fissures
- Colorectal cancer
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Angiodysplasia
- Ischemic colitis
Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
The diagnosis of hematochezia is typically made through a combination of patient history, physical examination, and diagnostic testing. This may include:
- Colonoscopy
- Sigmoidoscopy
- Upper endoscopy
- Capsule endoscopy
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Treatment[edit | edit source]
The treatment of hematochezia depends on the underlying cause. This may include:
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Hematochezia Resources | |
---|---|
|
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD