What is the medical term for inflammation of the large intestine?

Colitis is the medical term specifically referring to the inflammation of the large intestine, or colon. This condition can result from various causes, including infections, inflammatory bowel disease (such as ulcerative colitis), or ischemia. Symptoms typically associated with colitis include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and sometimes rectal bleeding, which are indicative of the inflammatory process occurring in the large intestine.

Each of the other terms refers to a different condition: appendicitis pertains to the inflammation of the appendix; gastroenteritis refers to inflammation of the stomach and intestines, often due to infection; and diverticulitis involves inflammation or infection of diverticula, which are small pouches that can form in the wall of the colon. This distinction helps clarify why colitis is the precise term for inflammation specifically affecting the large intestine.