obstruction
1 Definition of obstruction
Meaning of obstruction: Blockage of a hollow structure such as the bowel, airway, urinary tract, or a duct, slowing or halting what normally passes through.
An obstruction is a blockage that partially or completely prevents the normal flow or passage of material through a tubular or hollow structure in the body. Obstructions can occur in many locations, including the intestines, urinary tract, airway, or blood vessels, and each site produces a different pattern of symptoms depending on what is normally meant to pass through it.
Causes of obstruction vary widely and can include structural narrowing, a growth pressing on or within the passageway, scar tissue, a foreign object, or material such as stool, a stone, or a blood clot lodged within the structure. Whether an obstruction is partial or complete, and how quickly it develops, affects both the symptoms produced and the urgency of evaluation.
Identifying the location, cause, and severity of an obstruction typically relies on the clinical history together with imaging or other diagnostic studies.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Imaging confirmed a bowel obstruction at the level of the small intestine.
Good to know
A partial obstruction allows some material to pass and may cause intermittent symptoms, while a complete obstruction blocks passage entirely and typically produces more persistent and pronounced symptoms.
Word origin
Where “obstruction” comes from
From Latin obstruere, meaning "to block" or "to build up against," formed from ob- ("against") and struere ("to build").