Assessment of proctitis

Last reviewed: 13 Apr 2025
Last updated: 10 Jan 2025

Summary

Differentials

Common

  • Idiopathic ulcerative proctitis
  • Crohn's proctitis
  • Sexually transmitted proctitis
Full details

Uncommon

  • Coeliac disease
  • Radiation proctitis
  • Ischaemic proctitis
  • Proctitis related to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, caustic agent
  • Diversion colitis
  • Mpox
Full details

Contributors

Authors

Jordan E. Axelrad, MD, MPH

Associate Professor of Medicine

Director of Clinical and Translational Research

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at NYU Langone Health

NYU Grossman School of Medicine

New York

NY

Disclosures

JEA declares research grants from BioFire Diagnostics; consultancy fees, honorarium, or advisory board fees from Biomerieux, Janssen, Pfizer, BMS, Adiso, Fresenius, and Abbvie. JEA is supported through the Clinical Investigator Research Award funded by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (#878246), the Judith & Stewart Colton Center for Autoimmunity, and the NIH NIDDK Diseases K23DK124570.

Acknowledgements

Dr Jordan E. Axelrad would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Alan C. Moss, a previous contributor to this topic.

Disclosures

ACM declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Srikrishna Nagri, MD

Gastroenterologist

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Nashua

Nashua

NH

Disclosures

SN declares that he has no competing interests.

Terry Bolin, MBBS

Associate Professor of Medicine

Gastrointestinal and Liver Unit

The Prince of Wales Hospital

Sydney

New South Wales

Australia

Disclosures

TB declares that he has no competing interests.

References

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Key articles

Workowski KA, Bachmann LH, Chan PA, et al; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2021. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70:1-187.Full text  Abstract

Daniel R, Mark P, Gauri G, et al. British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) United Kingdom national guideline for the management of sexually transmitted enteric infections 2023​. International Journal of STD & AIDS​. May 2023;34(9):588-602​.Full text

Vries HJC, Nori AV, Kiellberg LH, et al. European guideline on the management of proctitis, proctocolitis and enteritis caused by sexually transmissible pathogens​. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol​. Jul 2021;35(7):1434-43.Full text

Lichtenstein GR, Loftus EV, Isaacs KL, et al. ACG clinical guideline: management of Crohn's disease in adults. Am J Gastroenterol. 2018 Apr;113(4):481-517.Full text  Abstract

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Standards of Practice Committee, Shergill AK, Lightdale JR, et al. The role of endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease. Gastrointest Endosc. 2015 May;81(5):1101-21.e1-13.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.

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