The passage of blackish, tarry feces associated with gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Melena occurs if the blood remains in the colon long enough for it to be broken down by colonic bacteria. One degradation product, hematin, imbues the stool with a blackish color. Thus, melena generally occurs with bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract (e.g., stomach ulcers or duodenal ulcers), since the blood usually remains in the gut for a longer period of time than with lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
