Melena
Definition
Underlying Cause
Anatomy
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Melena Underlying Cause
Common causes
for black stools or melena include:
Anticoagulant medication bleeding
Drug side effects
Esophageal ulcers
Food poisoning
Gastritis
Mallory Weiss tears
Nosebleeds
Less common causes
for black stools or melena include:
Behcet's syndrome
Coagulopathy
Congo hemorrhagic fever
Dengue fever
Dermatomyositis
Ebola hemorrhagic fever
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal varices
Heatstroke
Hemophilia
Henoch-Schonlein purpura
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura
Ischemic colitis
Malabsorption
Marburg hemorrhagic fever
Pancreatitis
Peptic ulcer disease
Poisoning
Portal hypertension
Schistosomiasis
Scurvy
Stomach cancer
Typhoid fever
Volvulus
Yellow fever
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Continue to
Melena Anatomy
Related Conditions
Gastritis
GI bleeding
Lower GI bleeding
Peptic ulcer disease
Upper GI bleeding
Reflux Checkup
Melena
Rectal bleeding
Vomiting blood
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Last Updated: Dec 5, 2008
References
Authors:
Stephen J. Schueler, MD
;
John H. Beckett, MD
;
D. Scott Gettings, MD
Copyright 1989-2009
DSHI Systems, Inc.
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Melena References:
Imdahl A. Genesis and pathophysiology of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2001 Feb;386(1):1-7.
Palmer K. Management of haematemesis and melaena. Postgrad Med J. 2004 Jul;80(945):399-404.
