Radiation Enteritis

In radiation enteritis (synonyms: Radiation Damage; Complication of Radiation Treatment; Radiation Disease of the Small Intestine; Radiation-Induced Enteropathy; ICD-10 T66: Unspecified Damage from Radiation) is an inflammation of the intestine caused by radiatio (radiation therapy) to the abdomen (stomach) or pelvis due to a tumor condition.

The gastrointestinal tract is one of the moderately radiosensitive organ systems, but the stem cells of the small intestinal epithelium are one of the highly radiosensitive tissues.

The prevalence (incidence of disease) for irradiation of pelvic or abdominal organs, 5 days after onset, is 80% (in Germany). In tumors of the pelvic organs, the ileum (ileum) and the distal (distant) sections of the colon (colon) are particularly affected.

Course and prognosis: The impairment of the mucosa cells (mucosal cells) leads to impaired small and large intestine function, as a result of which food components are only insufficiently absorbed (assimilated), depending on the degree of damage. In addition to acute radiation enteritis, there is also chronic radiation enteritis. It often occurs with a delay. The latency period between radiotherapy (irradiation) and the onset of enterocolitis can vary from a few months to several years.