Pathologic Function
melena
me·le·na [ muh-lee-nuh ]
Subclass of:
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage;
Feces
Etymology:
Greek melaina = feminine of melas = black
Definitions related to melena:
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Abnormally dark tarry feces containing blood, usually from gastrointestinal bleeding.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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The black, tarry, foul-smelling FECES that contain degraded blood.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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The passage of blackish, tarry feces associated with gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Melena occurs if the blood remains in the colon long enough for it to be broken down by colonic bacteria. One degradation product, hematin, imbues the stool with a blackish color. Thus, melena generally occurs with bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract (e.g., stomach ulcers or duodenal ulcers), since the blood usually remains in the gut for a longer period of time than with lower gastrointestinal bleeding.Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2021
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