Enterocolitis
Encyclopedia
Enterocolitis is an inflammation
of the colon
and small intestine
. However, most conditions are categorized as one or the other of the following:
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
of the colon
Colon (anatomy)
The colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body, and is the site in which flora-aided fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a...
and small intestine
Small intestine
The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. In invertebrates such as worms, the terms "gastrointestinal tract" and "large intestine" are often used to...
. However, most conditions are categorized as one or the other of the following:
- EnteritisEnteritisIn medicine, enteritis, from Greek words enteron and suffix -itis , refers to inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by the ingestion of substances contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, dehydration and fever...
is the inflammation of the small intestineSmall intestineThe small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. In invertebrates such as worms, the terms "gastrointestinal tract" and "large intestine" are often used to... - ColitisColitisIn medicine, colitis refers to an inflammation of the colon and is often used to describe an inflammation of the large intestine .Colitides may be acute and self-limited or chronic, i.e...
is inflammation of the large intestineLarge intestineThe large intestine is the third-to-last part of the digestive system — — in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body...
, especially the colonColon (anatomy)The colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body, and is the site in which flora-aided fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a...
Types
Specific types of enterocolitis include:- necrotizing enterocolitisNecrotizing enterocolitisNecrotizing enterocolitis is a medical condition primarily seen in premature infants, where portions of the bowel undergo necrosis .-Signs and symptoms:...
(most common in premature infants) - autistic enterocolitisAutistic enterocolitis"Autistic enterocolitis" is a controversial term first used by discredited British gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield to describe a number of common clinical symptoms and signs which he contends are distinctive to autism...
(a controversial manifestation of bowel disease in autistic children) - pseudomembranous enterocolitis (also called "Pseudomembranous colitis")