The Pulse | Thursday, December 20, 2018

Word of the Week: Haustra

This week, we are highlighting “Haustra” as the Word of the Week. As always, all of the terms and definitions are sourced from our very own SGNA GI/Endoscopy Nursing Review Course Certification Study Manual, 3rd Edition (2016).

Haustra: The haustra (singular haustrum) of the colon are the small pouches caused by sacculation (sac formation), which give the colon its segmented appearance. The teniae coli run the length of the large intestine.

• Clinical Significance
  • Widespread loss of haustra is a sign of chronic ulcerative colitis.
  • Sigmoidal volvulus, more often seen in psychiatric and neurologically impaired patients (e.g. Parkinson's disease), shows lack of haustra on x-ray and points from the pelvis to the right upper quadrant just below the diaphragm.