Definition: A long, thin, flexible tube with a camera and a light on the end. The tube is inserted into the rectum to look at the inside of the large intestine. This tool is used during a procedure called a colonoscopy.
Pictures from the camera are displayed on a video screen in the examination room. Still images may also be taken to allow the physician to take a closer examination and to make a comparison to earlier or later colonoscopy images.
The colonoscope can be used to take tissue for a biopsy or to remove a polyp with small tools that are passed through it.
Pronunciation: kō-lon′ō-skōp
Also Known As: Endoscope
