- colitis
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- collagenous c. c. occurring mostly in middle-aged women and characterized by persistent watery diarrhea and a deposit of a band of collagen beneath the basement membrane of colon surface epithelium.- c. cystica profunda intramural mucus-containing cysts of the large bowel; the condition may be mistaken for mucinous carcinoma but is not neoplastic.- hemorrhagic c. abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea, without fever, attributed to a self-limited infection by a strain of Escherichia coli.- mucous c. an affection of the mucous membrane of the colon characterized by colicky pain, constipation or diarrhea (sometimes alternating), and passage of mucous or slimy pseudomembranous shreds and patches. SYN: mucocolitis, myxomembranous c..- myxomembranous c. SYN: mucous c..- pseudomembranous c. SYN: pseudomembranous enterocolitis.- ulcerative c. a chronic disease of unknown cause characterized by ulceration of the colon and rectum, with rectal bleeding, mucosal crypt abscesses, inflammatory pseudopolyps, abdominal pain, and diarrhea; frequently causes anemia, hypoproteinemia, and electrolyte imbalance, and is less frequently complicated by peritonitis, toxic megacolon, or carcinoma of the colon.- uremic c. c. characterized by hemorrhages in the mucosa, occurring in renal failure, possibly owing to the irritant effect of ammonia formed by breakdown of increased urea in the intestinal secretions.
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n.inflammation of the colon. The usual symptoms are diarrhoea, sometimes with blood and mucus, and lower abdominal pain. It is diagnosed by demonstrating inflammation of the colon's lining (mucosa) by sigmoidoscopy or barium enema X-ray. Colitis may be due to infection by Entamoeba (amoebic colitis) or by bacteria (infective colitis); it may also occur in Crohn's disease (Crohn's colitis). Partial or temporary cessation of blood supply to the colon may cause ischaemic colitis. Ulcerative colitis (idiopathic proctocolitis) almost always involves the rectum (see proctitis) as well as a varying amount of the colon, which become inflamed and ulcerated. Its cause is unknown. It varies in severity from month to month, relapses being treated by drugs, including corticosteroids and drugs containing 5-aminosalicylic acid (sulfasalazine, mesalazine, and olsalazine, as tablets or enemas), and bed rest. Severe, continuous, or extensive colitis may be treated by surgery (see colectomy, proctocolectomy). Diarrhoea or pain where inflammation is absent is often due to mucous colitis (see irritable bowel syndrome).* * *
co·li·tis (ko-liґtis) [col- + -itis] inflammation of the colon. See also enterocolitis.
Medical dictionary. 2011.
