Hematochezia
Type: Symptom
Definition
The frequent passage of bright red, visible blood directly from the rectum.
Clinical Details
The autoimmune attack mercilessly strips away the protective epithelial layer of the colon, exposing the delicate, highly vascular tissue underneath. These thousands of tiny, raw ulcers bleed continuously into the intestinal lumen as stool painfully passes over them. The patient repeatedly expels bowel movements that are heavily intermixed with fresh blood and thick, inflammatory mucus.