proctitis

1 9.2

Swelling and pain in the rectum that often causes bleeding and an urgent need to pass stools

noun
/prɒkˈtaɪtɪs/

Specialized

: proctitis

When experiencing proctitis, patients often notice abdominal pain and frequent, bloody stools.

Examples

Perineal wound discharge, obstruction, proctitis, colovesical fistula, rectal bleeding, anorexia, epididymitis, and an increase in ileostomy output each occurred in one patient.

Academic text (1996)
The doctor diagnosed me with proctitis after I reported bleeding and discomfort during bowel movements.
Symptoms of proctitis can include a painful sensation in the rectum and an urgent need to have a bowel movement.

Surface Forms

proctitis singular

proctitises plural

proctitides plural

Morphology

proctitis = rectum (opaque) = proct + itis

The combining form 'proct-' is a specialized medical form for 'rectum' and is not recognizable to most B1 learners, while '-itis' (inflammation) may be known but the full term remains technical.

Etymology

Proctitis comes from the Greek proktos, meaning 'rectum', and the ending -itis, meaning 'inflammation', as in tonsillitis. So proctitis means 'inflammation of the rectum', which is why it causes rectal pain and a strong need to go to the toilet.