US Medical Term · anatomy
Sigmoid Colon
Colon sigmoide
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Sigmoid Colon |
| Spanish (Español) | Colon sigmoide |
| Chinese (中文) | 乙狀結腸 |
| Korean (한국어) | 구불결장 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Đại tràng sigma |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Sigmoid na kolon |
| Portuguese (Português) | Cólon sigmoide |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ลำไส้ใหญ่ส่วนซิกมอยด์ |
| Japanese (日本語) | S状結腸 |
What it means
The sigmoid colon is the S-shaped final section of the large intestine before it connects to the rectum. It sits in the lower left part of the abdomen and gets its name from the Greek letter sigma, which looks like an S. The sigmoid colon acts as a temporary holding area for stool before it moves into the rectum to be expelled. It is the most common site for diverticulitis — an infection or inflammation of small pouches called diverticula that form in the colon wall. It is also a frequent location for colon polyps and colon cancer. A sigmoidoscopy is a procedure that uses a small camera to look specifically at the sigmoid colon and rectum.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I have diverticulitis in my sigmoid colon and the doctor put me on antibiotics.
Tengo diverticulitis en el colon sigmoide y el médico me recetó antibióticos.
The pain in my lower left abdomen is coming from the sigmoid colon, according to the CT scan.
El dolor en la parte inferior izquierda del abdomen proviene del colon sigmoide, según la tomografía computarizada.
They found a polyp in my sigmoid colon during the colonoscopy and removed it right away.
Encontraron un pólipo en mi colon sigmoide durante la colonoscopia y lo extirparon de inmediato.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026