Life Science Encyclopedia

Enterocolitis (or "coloenteritis") is an inflammation of both the small and large intestine. However, most conditions are categorized as one or the other of the following:

• Enteritis is the inflammation of the small intestine
• Colitis is inflammation of the large intestine, especially the colon

Types

Specific types of enterocolitis include:

• necrotizing enterocolitis (most common in premature infants)
• autistic enterocolitis (a controversial entity of bowel disease in autistic children)