Rg-scopy, Rg-graphy of the stomach with double contrast

Brief description of the procedure

X-ray of the esophagus is not associated with invasion and is therefore considered a safe examination method. During the diagnosis, the specialist takes a series of x-rays of the esophagus. A barium-based contrast agent is often used to obtain a clearer, more detailed image and to view the area of ​​interest during operation.

In most cases, an x-ray of the esophagus is performed, because the method shows the condition of the organ in real time and allows you to assess its volume and shape, and see the esophagus in action.

Contraindications

X-ray of the stomach with barium is contraindicated in the following cases: disturbances in the functioning of the hematopoietic system, a pathological condition associated with clouding of the lens of the eye, affecting visual acuity, oncopathology of the bronchopulmonary system, carrying a child at any stage, endocrine pathologies of the thyroid gland.

There are the following contraindications for performing an X-ray examination of the intestine:

• intestinal perforation;
• unconsciousness of the patient;
• general serious condition of the patient;
• nonspecific ulcerative colitis;
• a combination of segmental or total dilatation of the colon against the background of signs of systemic toxicity;
• severe diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• complete disruption of the passage of contents through the intestines;
• internal bleeding;
• severe pain in the epigastric region;
• pregnancy.

In what cases is the study indicated?

The method allows you to visualize the area of ​​the esophagus, assess its internal state and find most anomalies and pathologies. Thanks to what an x-ray of the esophagus shows, a specialist can make a diagnosis for almost any disease. Therefore, examination is prescribed for a large number of different symptoms.

Unmotivated, repeated vomiting

In most cases, vomiting is of visceral origin (caused by irritation of stomach receptors). However, the symptom can also appear with a malignant neoplasm in the esophagus. Then vomiting will recur for no apparent reason. Blood clots may appear in it.

To diagnose a tumor, the patient is sent for a contrast-enhanced x-ray of the esophagus. The method allows you to detect a tumor, localize it and make an assumption about its nature.

Belching that accompanies the patient constantly

Belching often occurs when swallowing function or esophageal motility is impaired. The patient complains of a lump in the throat and heartburn, vomiting and other symptoms. The problem may lie in achalasia cardia, scleroderma or other diseases.

It is almost impossible to make an accurate diagnosis without a detailed examination of the esophagus. Therefore, in diagnosis, the specialist relies on what an x-ray of the esophagus shows.

Suspicion of reflux

Reflux is the reflux of stomach contents up the gastrointestinal tract into the esophagus. This occurs due to insufficiency or damage to the lower esophageal sphincter, which is supposed to act as a valve.

With reflux, stomach contents rich in hydrochloric acid and pepsin (a protein-breaking enzyme) enter the esophagus. In this case, the patient experiences heartburn and discomfort. If reflux occurs regularly, erosion and peptic ulcers will appear in the lower part of the organ. If the disease is not detected in time by X-ray of the esophagus and not treated, severe bleeding caused by perforation of the esophageal wall and other dangerous complications are possible.

Pain syndrome behind the sternum

The pain is caused by stretching of the walls when food passes through. Often the sensation is spasmodic in nature, pain radiates to the jaw, ear, neck and back.

Pain may appear due to irritation of the mucous membrane of the organ due to esophagitis, reflux or malignant neoplasm. To make an accurate diagnosis, a specialist needs to conduct a series of examinations, including an x-ray of the esophagus.

X-ray results

In a normal state of health, an x-ray of the esophagus should not show any abnormalities in the visual picture of this organ. The esophagus should not differ from the norm either in shape or size, its walls should have normal thickness, neoplasms should not be visualized in the structure, and there are no foreign bodies in the cavity. Otherwise, any visible deviations will indicate the presence of certain diseases. An experienced radiologist will immediately see all the abnormalities and will be able to give them an objective assessment. Sometimes abnormalities may require examination of some organs adjacent to the esophagus to make an accurate diagnosis. In this case, an x-ray of the esophagus will act as an additional measure for diagnosing suspected diseases.

When identifying various pathologies, specialists can immediately determine which disease will need to be treated. For example, the presence of any foreign objects in the esophagus will definitely be the basis for surgical intervention. If a protrusion of the organ wall and its stretching are detected, the mucous membrane is pinched between the muscles and a sac-like cavity is formed, doctors diagnose the patient with a diverticulum. The diverticulum contains food debris that enters the hollow tube, which often leads to further stretching or rupture.

With dyskinesia of the esophagus, the movement of incoming food through it is slowed down or accelerated. This pathological condition is usually accompanied by disturbances in the functioning of the sphincter and other anomalies of other organs. When the esophagus descends into the abdominal cavity or part of the stomach moves through an opening in the diaphragm into the chest cavity, doctors diagnose a hiatal hernia. And after chemical or thermal burns, esophagitis occurs, which is expressed by swelling of the mucous membrane of the organ, a decrease in its tone and disturbances in motor function. With ulcers of the esophagus, doctors observe violations of the integrity of the mucous membrane of the organ. Often the same ones are present in the stomach at the time of the examination, so it should also be examined carefully. All kinds of neoplasms in the esophagus are well visualized, while benign ones have clear boundaries, and cancer is always indicated by vague contours without clear boundaries.

Also, during X-rays of the esophagus, dysphagia is revealed, that is, all sorts of disturbances in the swallowing process, the causes of which can be various conditions that can sometimes be seen in the image.

What can fluoroscopy reveal?

Using radiography, a specialist can detect most diseases of the esophagus. In the results obtained, a number of signs indicate anomalies and pathologies.

Pathological changes in the diameter of the esophagus (narrowing/expansion)

Narrowing of the lumen of the esophagus can occur due to inflammation, injury, disease or tumor. In some cases, the symptom can lead to complete or partial obstruction and severe complications.

Dilatation of the esophagus is rare and, as a rule, develops with neuromuscular pathology (alachasia cardia), adhesions or neoplasms. The symptom develops when an obstruction appears in the lower esophagus, preventing food and liquids from reaching the stomach.

In both cases, diagnosing the causes of the pathology and developing the correct treatment strategy requires a detailed analysis of images obtained using intestinal radiography.

Local narrowing

Narrowing of the esophagus can occur due to visceral-visceral or cortico-visceral disorders. X-ray examination allows you to localize the narrowing of the esophagus, determine its extent and the degree of reduction in the lumen.

Protrusion of the esophageal wall outward with a decrease in the internal lumen

Protrusions of the wall of the esophagus in the form of a bag (diverticula) account for almost half of all diverticula of the gastrointestinal tract. Pathology occurs due to local muscle weakness. With diverticulum, the patient complains of soreness, a feeling of a lump, bad breath and other symptoms. To diagnose pathology, radiography of the esophagus, esophagoscopy and other procedures are prescribed.

Violation of the integrity of the walls - erosion, ulcers

Peptic ulcer disease of various parts of the gastrointestinal tract occurs in almost a quarter of the world's population. On the mucous membrane of the esophagus, ulcers can form due to exposure to gastric juice, reflux (true or peptic ulcers) or malignant tumors or other diseases (symptomatic ulcers).

To localize the pathology and determine its cause, an X-ray of the esophagus with contrast is prescribed.

Indications

• suspicion of an ulcerative process;
• detection of a neoplasm;
• protrusions or other deformations of the gastric walls;
• inflammatory processes in the stomach;
• state of dysphagia (functional impairment of swallowing);
• abdominal pain;
• severe constant heartburn;
• sudden involuntary release of gas into the oral cavity from the stomach or esophagus with a sour odor;
• the appearance of scarlet blood in the stool;
• decrease in red blood cells;
• sudden weight loss without objective reasons.

• pain in the epigastric region;
• detection of mucous and purulent discharge, as well as blood impurities, in feces;
• chronic increase in intervals between acts of defecation, hardening of stools, feeling of incomplete bowel movement;
• frequent diarrhea with changes in stool color (black, tar-like);
• rapid weight loss not due to dieting.

X-rays of the large and small intestines are necessarily indicated for suspected congenital malformations, oncopathology, polyposis, saccular protrusions of the intestinal wall, granulomatous inflammation with segmental damage to different parts of the digestive tract, chronic colitis and enterocolitis.

Preparation period

Before an x-ray of the esophagus, the patient should undergo simple but mandatory preparation. You should find out how best to prepare for the procedure from the specialist who prescribed the examination. However, there are a number of general recommendations.

3 days before the procedure, you should adjust your diet by eliminating foods that promote gas formation. On the eve of the examination, at lunchtime, it is recommended to take castor oil. In the evening and immediately before x-rays of the esophagus, cleansing enemas are prescribed.

Contraindications for X-ray diagnostics of the stomach

Pros and cons of fluoroscopy

The positive aspects of the procedure include the fact that X-ray examination of the esophagus is almost harmless and does not require special preparation. The specialist receives the data in real time and can not only localize the pathology and assess the degree of its development, but also draw a conclusion about the functioning of the esophagus as a whole.

Meanwhile, the examination is carried out using ionizing radiation. Therefore, the patient receives a certain amount of radiation (0.2-0.5 mSv at a rate of 5 mSv per year). Because of this, the procedure is not recommended for pregnant women, children and patients in serious condition.

Indications for X-ray diagnostics of the stomach

Diagnostics using RG rays is prescribed if the patient suffers from clinical manifestations of diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract:

• loss of appetite;
• feeling of food retention in the stomach;
• regular nausea and vomiting;
• belching with an unpleasant foreign odor;
• pain symptoms and discomfort in the epigastric region;
• manifestations of early satiety;
• increased gas formation;
• sudden constipation or diarrhea.

The procedure is necessary if the gastroenterologist suspects the presence of the following pathologies:

• stomach ulcer;
• ulcerative colitis of the duodenum;
• narrowing of the pyloric region of the stomach;
• inflammatory-dystrophic changes in the gastric mucosa;
• neoplasms of benign or malignant etiology;
• polypous formations;
• congenital or acquired developmental anomalies.

Diagnostics are carried out after surgical interventions to determine their effectiveness.

Preparation for the procedure

Preparation rules take into account the patient's condition. If the functions of the digestive system are not impaired, no special preparation is required. The only condition is that you should not eat for 6-8 hours before the procedure.

If there are digestive dysfunctions, you need a diet:

• Foods whose consumption causes the formation of gases in the intestines are excluded from the diet;
• You can eat lean meat, fresh eggs, fish, and cereals.
• For constipation, the patient is prescribed an enema or gastric lavage.