One of the most common methods for diagnosing stomach pathologies is x-ray. With its help, it is possible to identify neoplasms, peptic ulcer. An x-ray of the stomach will show what happens to the sphincters, what is the integrity of the walls, what are the sizes of the organ. The procedure is prescribed only by doctors.
Indications for the procedure
An x-ray of the stomach will show what exactly happens in the organ. This type of diagnosis is prescribed to patients in the following cases:
- suspected ulcer development;
- inflammatory diseases;
- neoplasms;
- organ deformities;
- malformations.
Indications is a symptom of rapid weight loss, anemia, impurities of blood in the feces. There are other indications for the examination. However, not all patients are allowed to carry out the procedure.
Contraindications
An X-ray of the stomach will show what exactly causes the problem in the patient, but pregnant women are not allowed to diagnose it. In this case, women do not have an x-ray, but a more gentle procedure in the form of fibrogastroscopy.
It is impossible to conduct an examination for persons suffering from prolonged bleeding, as well as seriously ill.
Preparation rules
All patients are conditionally divided into two groups: those for whom the functioning of the intestines is impaired, and those for whom it is normal. Each group has its own training rules.
An X-ray of the stomach will show what exactly caused the pain and other clinical manifestations of the pathology, but the body must be prepared before the procedure. For this, patients with no bowel dysfunction should refrain from eating at least twelve hours.
If there are any violations of the digestive tract, then the preparation begins three days before the date of the x-ray. From the diet, the patient should completely exclude products that cause gas formation. The menu includes as much protein food as possible, porridge. If necessary, patients are given a cleansing enema.
An X-ray of the stomach and intestines shows what exactly caused the digestive disturbance, what changes have already occurred with the organs.
Survey methods
There are two ways to carry out an X-ray examination of an organ: with contrast and the double-contrast method.
The stomach is a hollow organ. To see it in the picture, it is necessary to fill with a contrast medium. An x-ray of the stomach shows what exactly is happening and how it is developed. For clarity, the body is filled with barium sulfate. This substance is not soluble in gastric juice and is not absorbed in the intestines. Barium does not absorb x-rays. Because of these features, an X-ray of the stomach with barium shows what happened to the organ and what pathological foci it contains.
A double contrast x-ray examination is performed to more clearly examine the walls of the stomach and intestines. Together with contrast, air is pumped into the digestive tract. If you need to consider the upper part of the organs, then air is introduced through the mouth. When examining the lower sections - through the anus.
In order for the muscles to be relaxed during the diagnosis, patients are prescribed antispasmodics. They suppress intestinal motility and stomach.
Diagnostics
The doctor explains how an X-ray of the stomach is performed and what shows whether this method will help with the diagnosis.
Patients should come to the procedure with an empty stomach, since the study is performed on an empty stomach. Before the patient is given a contrast agent, the specialist should conduct a survey of the abdominal cavity. This is done to identify possible disturbances in the functioning of the stomach. For examination, the patient is placed in an X-ray machine equipped with a screen. Then he is given a contrast. It is taken orally under the supervision of a specialist.
On the monitor screen, the doctor sees how barium passes through the digestive system, entering the stomach, and then into the intestines. The specialist takes a number of shots in different projections. First, the patient lies on his back, then turns on his stomach, on both sides. After this, the patient rises.
The duration of the procedure depends on the number of projections in which you want to take pictures.
Side effects of the survey
During the examination, patients are exposed to x-ray exposure. Each patient is concerned about the safety of the contrast medium. Due to the chemical structure and the inability to dissolve with gastric juice, barium is not absorbed, but leaves naturally after some time after the procedure. In isolated cases, an allergic reaction to contrast may occur.
What does the diagnosis show?
An x-ray of the stomach and esophagus shows what happens in the digestive system and what changes are there. The doctor can see in the pictures an altered clearance. With its narrowing, endophytic or exophytic cancer is noted. Sometimes a neoplasm that presses the stomach, for example, with the growth of cancer cells in the intestine, can be observed. You can see various deformations in the pictures. They are congenital and acquired. Usually the stomach has the shape of a hook, but there are other types: a horn, a snail, forms with constrictions, resembling an hourglass.
With radiology, all the available displacements, including gastroptosis, are clearly visible. This is a prolapse of the stomach. This variant of the disease develops with hernias, various injuries.
The doctor may see a niche symptom in the picture. It is typical for him to fill with a contrast medium a damaged part of the stomach. Most often, this clinic is characteristic of peptic ulcer. On the x-ray, intense dimming is visible that occurs at the site of an organ wall defect.
If a dark area is visible in the image, this indicates a defect in the filling of the digestive organ. Such a clinical picture can be observed with a tumor, as well as with foreign bodies.
The thinning of the folds of the stomach caused by atrophic gastritis is almost not noticeable. But the doctor can clearly see the available radial convergence of the folds of the mucous membrane towards the niche.
Reviews
According to doctors, during the inspection of the pictures, a hook-shaped stomach with normal, not increased sizes is normally visible. The contrast medium is evenly distributed throughout the organ cavity, filling all the bends. During X-ray examination, no filling defects, bends are observed.
Doctors say that with peptic ulcer a niche is noted, from which folds of the mucous membrane diverge. The clear and round contours of the stripes that occur when the stomach is full, occur with a large number of polyps.
X-ray examination of the stomach with contrast allows you to see a variety of pathological lesions. Also, this diagnostic method allows you to determine the size of the organ, its bends, evaluate the state of the digestive system as a whole.