Definition of Proctitis

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Proctitis: Inflammation of the rectum. This may be due to a considerable number of causes, among them infectious agents and ulcerative colitis.

Infectious proctitis is often due to agents such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrheae (the bacteria that causes gonorrhea) and herpes simplex virus that can be acquired during receptive anoreceptive intercourse.

Proctitis is a hallmark of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown origin. In fact, the rectum is always involved in ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis limited to the rectum is called ulcerative proctitis. (The inflammation may also extend into the upper parts of the colon). Intermittent rectal bleeding, crampy abdominal pain and diarrhea that wax and wane are characteristic consequences of ulcerative colitis.

The word proctitis comes from the Greek proktos meaning the hindparts or anus + the ending -itis meaning inflammation.