Tarry stool

Provided by: Healthwise
50% of users found this article helpful.

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:Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Last Updated: 05/25/2007

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