Rectal tenesmus
A painful sensation of incomplete bowel emptying despite evacuation.
Rectal tenesmus is the sensation of incomplete defecation, often accompanied by pain and involuntary straining. It indicates a feeling of residue even when the bowel has been emptied, and involves both nociceptive and neuropathic components. The term is a retronym distinguishing it from vesical tenesmus, a similar sensation of incomplete bladder voiding.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Gastroenterology, general surgery
Facts from the source article.
Considerations
Tenesmus is characterized by a sensation of needing to pass stool, accompanied by pain, cramping, and straining, with little stool passed despite effort. It is generally associated with inflammatory bowel diseases, which may be infectious or noninfectious. Associated conditions include amoebiasis, chronic arsenic poisoning, coeliac disease, colorectal cancer, anal melanoma, cystocele, cytomegalovirus in immunocompromised patients, diverticular disease, dysentery, prolapsed hemorrhoid, imperforate hymen, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, ischemic colitis, kidney stones lodged in the lower ureter, pelvic organ prolapse, radiation proctitis, rectal gonorrhea, rectal lymphogranuloma venereum, rectal parasitic infection particularly Trichuris trichiura, rectocele, shigellosis, and ulcerative colitis. Tenesmus is also associated with the installation of a reversible or non-reversible stoma, where symptoms may persist for the stoma's duration, potentially requiring long-term pain management.
More in Symptoms and Signs: Digestive System and Abdomen
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