
Upper endoscopy can be used to treat a blocked part of the digestive tract or some other types of problems. You have a digestive system problem that needs to be treated The samples are then looked at in the lab. This is done by passing long, thin instruments, such as small forceps (pincers), down through the middle of the endoscope to collect the samples. Upper endoscopy can be used to take biopsy samples of the esophagus, stomach, or small intestine (to find out if an abnormal area is cancer, for example). You have a suspicious area that might be cancer The doctor can also take biopsy samples of tissue or fluid during an ERCP. The dye helps outline the bile and pancreatic ducts as x-rays are taken, and can show if there are blockages. A small catheter (tube) is then put through the endoscope and into the common bile duct, and a small amount of contrast dye is injected through the catheter. This type of procedure is known as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).įor this test, a doctor passes an endoscope down into the first part of the small intestine. Upper endoscopy can be used along with x-rays to look at (and sometimes treat problems in) the pancreas and bile ducts. If suspicious areas such as enlarged lymph nodes are seen, a hollow needle can be passed through the endoscope into these areas to obtain a biopsy. The ultrasound gives off sound waves and picks up the echoes as they bounce off these structures, and the echoes are converted into an image on a computer screen. It is passed down into the digestive tract and can be pointed in different directions to look at the wall and nearby lymph nodes and other structures. From the small intestine, endoscopic ultrasound can also be used to look at the pancreas, gallbladder, or bile ducts.įor this test, an endoscope is fitted with a small ultrasound probe on its tip.

For example, if there is a tumor in the wall of the esophagus or stomach, ultrasound can show how far it has grown into (or through) the wall, and if it might have reached the nearby lymph nodes. Upper endoscopy can be done as part of an endoscopic ultrasound to look at the wall of the digestive tract, as well as for nearby lymph nodes and other structures just outside the digestive tract. Or it might be done to look at an abnormal area seen on an imaging test (such as an x-ray or CT scan).
Endoscopy findings full#
It might be done because of symptoms you are having (such as trouble swallowing, heartburn, feeling full quickly, or coughing up or vomiting blood). This test can be used to look for the causes of problems in the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. There are a few reasons you might need an upper endoscopy: You are having problems in your upper digestive tract
