Inflammatory Diseases of the Digestive System Codexery

Enteritis

Inflammation of the small intestine with infectious and autoimmune causes.

Enteritis

It is most commonly caused by consuming contaminated food or drink.[1][2] The small intestine becomes inflamed in a condition called enteritis.[1][2] A person with enteritis may experience fever, dehydration, cramping, diarrhea, and pain in the abdomen.[1][3]

Quick Facts

Field
Internal medicine
Symptoms
  • Diarrhoea
  • fever
  • abdominal pain, abdominal bloating
  • nutrient deficiencies
Causes
  • Infectious
  • autoimmune
  • ischemic
  • radiation
  • toxic
  • idiopathic
  • other

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia states that enteritis may also be caused by autoimmune conditions, certain medicines, radiation therapy, and celiac disease.[2] The HealthGrades account notes that the most common type of enteritis is infectious enteritis, often called gastroenteritis.[4] When inflammation is confined to particular segments of the small bowel, the conditions are termed duodenitis, jejunitis, or ileitis.[5] Gastroenteritis is the term used when both the stomach and the small intestine are inflamed.[5]

Regional enteritis, another name for Crohn's disease, may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract.[6] Because the small intestine has a rich blood supply, ischemic enteritis occurs less often than ischemic colitis.[7] Radiation enteritis appearing within three months of radiotherapy is labeled early, while cases appearing after that period are termed delayed.[8]

What the research sources say

The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia lists risk factors including recent stomach flu among household members, recent travel, and exposure to unclean water.[2] The same source notes that mild cases of enteritis often do not need testing or treatment.[2] The HealthGrades account states that preventing infectious enteritis involves practicing good hygiene.[4] The Lecturio Medical Concept Library describes that the majority of gastroenteritis cases are self-limited and require only supportive fluid therapy.[9]

The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia recommends always washing hands after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food to help prevent enteritis.[2]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Enteritis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dugdale, David C., IIII, and George F Longretch "Enteritis". MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 18 October 2008. Accessed 24 August 2009. (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Dugdale, David C., IIII, and George F Longretch "Enteritis". MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 18 October 2008. Accessed 24 August 2009.. facts only, no text reused. medlineplus.gov
  3. Wikipedia, "Enteritis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Enteritis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia", medlineplus.gov; "Enteritis", HealthGrades, 13 November 2019 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. "Enteritis", HealthGrades, 13 November 2019. facts only, no text reused. healthgrades.com
  5. Wikipedia, "Enteritis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Gastroenteritis", The Lecturio Medical Concept Library (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Enteritis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Friedman, "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine", McGraw Hill, 2022; Kumar, "Robbins Basic Pathology", Elsevier/Saunders, 2012 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Enteritis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Koshikawa, "Ischemic enteritis with intestinal stenosis", Intestinal Research, 2016-10-12, p. 89–95 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Enteritis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hauer-Jensen, "Radiation Enteropathy – Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention", Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2016-10-14, p. 470–479 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. "Gastroenteritis", The Lecturio Medical Concept Library. facts only, no text reused. lecturio.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Enteritis (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

More in Inflammatory diseases of the digestive system

Acute pancreatitisAppendicitisAscending cholangitisChemical colitisCholecystitisColitisCytomegalovirus esophagitisDuodenal lymphocytosisEnterocolitisEpiploic appendagitisEsophagitisGastritis

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