Translations:Gastrointestinal tract/50/en

Imaging

Various methods of imaging the gastrointestinal tract include the upper and lower gastrointestinal series:

• Radioopaque dyes may be swallowed to produce a barium swallow
• Parts of the tract may be visualised by camera. This is known as endoscopy if examining the upper gastrointestinal tract and colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy if examining the lower gastrointestinal tract. Capsule endoscopy is where a capsule containing a camera is swallowed in order to examine the tract. Biopsies may also be taken when examined.
• An abdominal x-ray may be used to examine the lower gastrointestinal tract.