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Glite Dictionary
melena

melena

1 9.9
Very dark sticky stool caused by bleeding in the stomach or intestines
  • noun
  • /məˈliːnə/
  • Specialized
: melena
  • The doctor carefully examined the patient, noting that he had passed melena indicating possible gastrointestinal bleeding.

Examples

  • After several days of stomach pain, she was alarmed to discover that her feces contained melena, which prompted a visit to the hospital.

  • If bleeding is heavy, hematemesis, hematochezia, or melena may occur.

    Academic text (2005)

  • He presented to the hospital with a myocardial infarction and gave a history of melena.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Iron has a direct corrosive effect on the mucosa of the GI tract, leading to nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, melena, and hematemesis.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The emergence of melena in his stool led the physician to suspect a serious internal issue requiring immediate attention.

Surface Forms

melena singular
melenas plural

Etymology

Melena comes from the Greek root melan- (from melas) meaning 'black'. So melena refers to very dark, tar-like stool that looks black because the blood has been changed as it passes through the stomach or intestine.