Proctitis (cont.)

Medical Author:

Hardik C Soni, MD

Coauthor:

Eugene Hardin, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Coauthor:

Craig Wilder, MD

Medical Editor:

Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM

Medical Editor:

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD

Medical Editor:

James Quinn, MD

The diagnosis of proctitis is based on the suspected cause.

Your health care provider will take a thorough medical history to determine your sexual practices and if you have any high-risk behaviors.
Most cases of suspected proctitis require a procedure called a proctosigmoidoscopy. A lighted tube with a camera is passed through the anus and used to look at the surface of your rectum. The image is projected on a TV screen and is magnified to identify changes.
In addition, your doctor also may take a biopsy (small piece of tissue) of your rectum for testing for disease or infection.
Any discharge present will undergo lab testing to identify sexually transmitted organisms.
Doctors also frequently test your blood for the presence of antibodies to support the diagnosis.

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