digestive disorders
Proctitis
Diagnosis of Proctitis
Proctoscopy or sigmoidoscopy Blood tests and stool tests Sometimes colonoscopy To make the diagnosis of proctitis, a doctor looks inside the rectum with a proctoscope or sigmoidoscope (a tube used to view the rectum—see Endoscopy ) and takes swabs and a tissue sample of the rectal lining for examination. The laboratory then can identify the bacterium, fungus, or virus that may be causing the proctitis. Blood tests for syphilis and stool tests forClostridioides difficileare also done. A doctor may also examine other areas of the intestine using colonoscopy (examination of the entire large intestine with an endoscope) to look for Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis. 