transluminale

Transluminale (transluminal) is an adjective used primarily in medical and scientific contexts to describe something that passes through or is performed via a lumen, i.e., the interior channel of a hollow organ such as a blood vessel, the gastrointestinal tract, or the urinary tract. The term derives from Latin trans- 'through' and lumen 'cavity', and is often contrasted with transcutaneous (through the skin) or transmurale (through the wall). In English-language medical literature, transluminal is the common form; transluminale appears in Italian and some translated texts.

In medicine, transluminal techniques access a target site via a natural lumen rather than through external surfaces. Examples include transluminal angioplasty, where a catheter is advanced through a blood vessel to the site of narrowing; transluminal stenting; and endoscopic ultrasound-guided transluminal drainage, where a path is created between lumens (for example, between the GI tract and a fluid collection) to allow drainage with stents. Translumenal approaches are fundamental in biliary and pancreatic interventions, such as transluminal biliary drainage via endoscopic or radiologic routes.

Safety and outcomes depend on the procedure and anatomy; common concerns include perforation, infection, and stent-related complications. The term’s exact meaning is context-dependent and may be used variably across disciplines to emphasize access or intervention through a luminal pathway rather than through external tissues.

See also: endoluminal, transarterial, transgastric, transluminal drainage, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).