intraluminale

Intraluminal is an adjective used in anatomy, physiology, and medicine to describe something situated within the lumen, the interior space of a hollow organ or vessel. The term is used for structures, processes, or devices that operate inside the hollow channel, as opposed to extraluminal, which refers to locations outside the lumen.

Lumen-bearing organs include the gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, intestines), the biliary and pancreatic ducts, the urinary tract, airways, and blood vessels. Intraluminal phenomena may involve contents such as secretions, gas, or a mass within the lumen, as well as devices placed inside the lumen, such as stents or catheters, and measurements taken within the lumen, such as pressure or pH.

Applications include intraluminal stents to maintain patency of a narrowed lumen (for example in biliary or vascular contexts), intraluminal ultrasound probes used for imaging within a cavity, and capsule endoscopy devices that travel through the gastrointestinal lumen. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are described as intraluminal when they occur within the lumen rather than through or across the lumen wall (extraluminal or transluminal).

Intraluminal measurements such as intraluminal pressure, pH, or impedance are used in research and clinical practice to assess function, motility, or mucosal conditions. The term is also used in pathology to describe lesions or contents located within a lumen, including intraluminal thrombi or parasites.