proctitis
Meaning of proctitis: Proctitis is inflammation of the rectal lining that can produce pain, bleeding, and a persistent urge to have a bowel movement.
Definition of proctitis
Proctitis is inflammation of the lining of the rectum, the final segment of the large intestine just above the anus. It can result from several distinct causes, including infection, radiation therapy directed at the pelvis, inflammatory bowel disease, or reduced blood flow to the rectal tissue.
Common features include rectal pain, bleeding, mucous discharge, and a frequent or urgent sense of needing to pass stool even when the rectum is empty, a sensation called tenesmus. Symptoms can range from mild irritation to more severe inflammation depending on the underlying cause.
Because proctitis can arise from such different causes, identifying the specific trigger, whether infectious, inflammatory, or related to prior radiation treatment, generally guides how the condition is expected to progress and what further evaluation is needed.
How proctitis is built
- proct/o Combining form · Greek rectum, anus
- -itis Suffix · Greek inflammation
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Used in a sentence
A colonoscopy confirmed proctitis limited to the distal rectum.
Good to know
Proctitis is limited to the rectum, distinguishing it from more widespread inflammatory bowel disease affecting the colon more broadly, though the two can occur together or produce similar symptoms.
Word origin
Where “proctitis” comes from
Formed from Greek proktos, meaning anus or rectum, and the suffix -itis, meaning inflammation.