Digestive Diseases Glossary of Terms
In this article
Parenteral nutrition: A feeding method in which nutrients go directly into the bloodstream through a catheter placed into a vein.
Proton pump inhibitors: Drugs that suppress acid production in the stomach.
Sclerotherapy: A procedure in which a chemical irritant solution is injected into a vein to sclerose, or harden it by causing scar formation. This forces blood flow to nearby healthy blood vessels. Sclerotherapy may be performed to treat hemorrhoids, esophageal varices, and varicose and spider veins.
Secretin: A hormone made in the small intestines that aids in digestion.
Secretin stimulation test: Test that measures the ability of the pancreas to respond to the hormone secretin.
Ultrasound: The use of high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the organs and structures inside the body.
Vagus nerve: Also called cranial nerve ten, the vagus nerve regulates the function of numerous organs of the body from the throat and voice box to the trachea (windpipe), lungs, heart, and most of the intestinal tract. It also brings sensory information to the brain from the ears, tongue, and throat.
Villi:Hair-like structures that line the small intestine and absorb nutrients from food.
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: A rare disorder of the gastrointestinal system caused by a tumor called a gastrinoma. Gastrinomas most often occur in the pancreas. The tumor secretes the hormone gastrin, which increases acid levels in the stomach, leading to severe, recurrent ulcers of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines.