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
The taeniae coli (also teniae coli or tenia coli) are three separate longitudinal ribbons (''taeniae'' meaning ribbon in Latin) of smooth muscle on the outside of the ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid colons. They are visible and can b ...
run the length of the colon. Because the taenia coli are shorter than the colon, the colon becomes sacculated between the teniae coli, forming the haustra.
Haustral contractions are slow segmenting, uncoordinated movements that occur approximately every 25 minutes. One haustrum distends as it fills with
chyme
Chyme or chymus (; from Greek χυμός ''khymos'', "juice") is the semi-fluid mass of partly digested food that is expelled by a person's stomach, through the pyloric valve, into the duodenumperistalsis
Peristalsis ( , ) is a radially symmetrical contraction and relaxation of muscles that propagate in a wave down a tube, in an anterograde direction. Peristalsis is progression of coordinated contraction of involuntary circular muscles, which ...
.
There is a wider distance between haustra than between the
circular folds
The circular folds (also known as valves of Kerckring, valves of Kerchkring, plicae circulares, ''plicae circulae, and'' ''valvulae conniventes'') are large valvular flaps projecting into the lumen of the small intestine.
Structure
The entire sm ...
of the
small intestine
The small intestine or small bowel is an organ in the gastrointestinal tract where most of the absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intestine, and receives bile and pancreatic juice through the p ...
, and the haustra don't reach around the entire circumference of the intestine, in contrast to circular folds of the small intestine that do. These differences can assist in distinguishing the small intestine from the colon on an
abdominal x-ray
An abdominal x-ray is an x-ray of the abdomen. It is sometimes abbreviated to AXR, or KUB (for kidneys, ureters, and urinary bladder).
Indications
In children, abdominal x-ray is indicated in the acute setting:
*Suspected bowel obstruction or ...
.
Clinical significance
Widespread loss of haustra is a sign of chronic
ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a long-term condition that results in inflammation and ulcers of the colon and rectum. The primary symptoms of active disease are abdominal pain and diarrhea mixed with blood (hematochezia). Weight loss, fever, and a ...
.
Localized ahaustral distended colon can be seen on
abdominal x-ray
An abdominal x-ray is an x-ray of the abdomen. It is sometimes abbreviated to AXR, or KUB (for kidneys, ureters, and urinary bladder).
Indications
In children, abdominal x-ray is indicated in the acute setting:
*Suspected bowel obstruction or ...
during obstruction or
volvulus
A volvulus is when a loop of intestine twists around itself and the mesentery that supports it, resulting in a bowel obstruction. Symptoms include abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, vomiting, constipation, and bloody stool. Onset of symptoms ma ...
.
Sigmoidal volvolus
Sigmoid colon volvulus, also known as sigmoid volvulus, is volvulus affecting the sigmoid colon. It is a common cause of bowel obstruction and constipation. It is common in Asia, India (7% of intestinal obstruction) and especially South India be ...
, more often seen in psychiatric and neurologically impaired patients (e.g.
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
), shows lack of haustra on x-ray and points from the pelvis to the right upper quadrant just below the diaphragm.
References
Further reading
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{{Authority control
Large intestine