Erythematous Mucosa

What is erythematous mucosa?

Erythematous mucosa means the tissue that lines your gastrointestinal tract is red and irritated. This tissue is called mucosa. Redness is a sign of inflammation. This means something is bothering your GI tract. Your healthcare provider will tell you where they see the redness.

Organs in your GI tract include your:

• Esophagus
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Large intestine

You might hear or read the term “erythematous mucosa” after having an exam inside one of these areas, especially if you’ve had pain, swelling or bleeding in your GI tract. These are symptoms of irritation. “Erythematous mucosa” is what it looks like.

What causes erythematous mucosa?

Redness and swelling in your GI tract can happen for many reasons. Infections are some of the most common causes. But some issues only affect certain parts of your GI tract. Your exam report will tell you where your healthcare provider found erythematous mucosa.

Here are some common causes:

In your esophagus

Irritation in your esophagus (esophagitis) is often related to long-term acid reflux (GERD). Stomach acid backs up and irritates the lining of your esophagus. Over time, this can cause ulcers or lead to other changes, like Barrett’s esophagus. Taking certain medications too often can also irritate the area.

In your stomach

A bacterial infection called H. pylori is often the cause of stomach lining inflammation (gastritis). It can wear down the lining and lead to stomach ulcers. Other common causes include drinking too much alcohol or overusing pain relievers like NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

In your small intestine

Redness and swelling in your small intestine (enteritis) are usually due to a short-term infection, like food poisoning or stomach flu. But when it lasts longer, it may be from a chronic condition like celiac disease or Crohn’s disease. These are both autoimmune diseases.

In your large intestine

Your large intestine includes your colon, rectum and anus. Irritation in your colon (colitis) could be from an inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis. It could also be from a stubborn infection like C. diff, which can cause thick patches called pseudomembranes.

Inflammation in your rectum (proctitis) might be from a sexually transmitted infection (STI). In your anus, it could be due to a yeast infection. If you have chronic constipation, passing hard stools can cause sores or tears. If these get infected, they can cause a pocket of pus (abscess).

Other possible causes

Less common causes of erythematous mucosa include:

• Cancer: It’s not the first thing to expect when you see “erythematous mucosa” on your report. But cancer in your stomach or in your large intestine can sometimes cause redness and swelling.
• Portal hypertension: This condition can cause enlarged blood vessels in your GI tract that easily break and bleed. It’s usually a side effect of liver disease.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation can inflame the lining of your digestive tract (radiation enteritis).
• Rare autoimmune diseases: Some, like eosinophilic esophagitis and atrophic gastritis, are uncommon, but they may be what’s bothering your mucosa.

How do doctors diagnose erythematous mucosa?

Healthcare providers usually find erythematous mucosa during an exam of your GI tract called endoscopy.

• An upper endoscopy looks at your esophagus, stomach and duodenum.
• A colonoscopy looks inside your large intestine.

Sometimes, healthcare providers can recognize what’s causing the redness just by looking. Other times, they’ll take a sample of the mucosa (biopsy) during the exam. A pathologist will study the sample under a microscope to help find the cause of the irritation.

How do doctors treat erythematous mucosa?

Treatment depends on what’s causing the redness and swelling. Your healthcare provider will work to find the cause and then treat it. This should reduce the redness and may help with other symptoms.

For example, you might need:

• Antibiotics to treat an infection
• Corticosteroids to reduce redness and swelling
• Proton pump inhibitors to treat acid reflux or gastritis
• Sucralfate to treat ulcers in your GI tract