Tarry stool

Healthwise
By Jeannette Curtis; Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS

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A tarry stool has a black, shiny, sticky appearance and looks like tar on a road. Often tarry stools are a symptom of bleeding in the digestive tract.

Author:Jeannette Curtis
Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Medical Review:
Last Updated: 05/25/2007