What Diseases Can Be Diagnosed With An Endoscopy?

Endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure performed by gastroenterologists to visualize your internal organs and gastrointestinal (GI) tracts and cavities directly. As a powerful diagnostic tool for assessing GI health, gastroenterologists often rely on endoscopy to accurately detect and treat a range of diseases that would otherwise remain hidden. 

While other imaging solutions, such as CT scans or MRIs, exist to help diagnose GI issues, endoscopy is a unique form of imaging that delivers clear and specific information for diagnosing diseases, disorders, or other health issues. Here, we will explore some possible diseases detected in endoscopy, highlighting the importance of screenings and visiting a qualified gastroenterologist for diagnosis. 

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How Gastroenterologists Perform Endoscopies

During an endoscopy, a gastroenterologist will insert a long, thin, flexible tube with a camera (endoscope) down your esophagus and into your body to visualize your internal organs and intestinal structures from your esophagus to your small intestine. To ensure comfort during this process, your gastroenterologist may use sedation to ensure that you stay relaxed and calm as the endoscope travels through your body.

Once the endoscope is inserted, images are transmitted to a monitor where your gastroenterologist can observe the conditions of your GI tract in real-time. If any areas show disease indications or suggest a cause for concern, images and biopsy samples may be taken for further observation and testing. Afterward, doctors remove the endoscope and allow patients to recover until sedation wears off, typically discharging them within a few hours. 

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Esophageal (Throat) Diseases Requiring Direct Visualization

Esophageal Varices

Enlarged veins in the esophagus, known as esophageal varices, often result from portal hypertension, commonly associated with live cirrhosis. Endoscopy allows for direct visualization of the varices, allowing gastroenterologists to assess their size and risk of rupture, which can lead to life-threatening hemorrhaging or bleeding. In some cases, doctors may have to perform procedures such as landing or sclerotherapy to treat and prevent these varices from enlarging.

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Esophageal Strictures

Narrowing of the esophagus, also known as an esophageal stricture, can cause difficulty swallowing. Endoscopies allow doctors to visualize the strictures directly, dilate and widen the esophagus, and assess for any underlying causes. In any case, esophageal strictures are caused by scarring from chronic acid reflux or malignancy. 

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Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) is thought of as an allergic condition that inflames the esophagus, causing difficulty swallowing, heartburn, and food impaction. Gastroenterologists use endoscopy to diagnose EoE by obtaining visuals and biopsies to confirm their initial diagnoses, as inflammation patterns are specific and undetectable through other screening tests. 

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Gastric (Stomach) Conditions Diagnosed by Endoscopy

Ulcers

Upper endoscopies definitively diagnose ulcers, especially when symptoms mimic other gastrointestinal problems. This procedure allows gastroenterologists to visualize ulcers directly, take biopsies to test for H. pylori infection, and even provide immediate treatment, such as clipping a bleeding ulcer.

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Gastric Cancer (Early Stages)

Detecting and locating instances of gastric cancer in its early stages is crucial for successful treatment and remediation. Endoscopy allows gastroenterologists to visualize and gather evidence of suspicious lesions and perform precise biopsies. When combined with advanced techniques like endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), endoscopy can be used to assess and stage instances of cancer. EUS provides detailed information on the depth of tumor invasion and lymph node involvement, which is crucial for determining the appropriate treatment plan.

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Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia and Dysplasia

These precancerous changes in the stomach lining can only be detected, monitored, and assessed through endoscopic biopsies. Endoscopy can help with the early detection and intervention of gastric cancers, catching them before they can progress or spread. 

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Small Intestine Diseases Detected With Endoscopy

Celiac Disease

Blood tests are often the first step in assessing celiac disease; however, endoscopies provide definitive diagnoses for confirmation. During an endoscopy, a gastroenterologist will take a biopsy of the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. Diagnosing celiac disease with endoscopy allows doctors to assess for characteristics, such as villous atrophy — a condition associated with celiac disease. 

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Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the digestive tract. However, endoscopy helps gastroenterologists identify areas of inflammation and biopsy specific areas of the small intestine — especially when other imaging modalities are inconclusive or don’t provide specific enough answers for accurate diagnoses. 

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Small Intestinal Angioectasia

Abnormal blood vessels in the small intestine can cause chronic bleeding or hemorrhaging and iron deficiency anemia from blood loss. Endoscopy can help locate and visualize these lesions. 

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The Importance of Effective Endoscopy

Visiting a qualified gastroenterologist offers numerous benefits in assessing and diagnosing health issues within the upper GI system. Gastroenterologists have the expertise to perform and interpret endoscopic procedures accurately and effectively, delivering the highest quality of care with clear and concise diagnoses. By recognizing subtle abnormalities in the upper GI tract, gastroenterologists can gather information to help navigate the next steps in treatment or perform therapeutic interventions such as polyp removal, dilation of strictures, or controlling bleeding. 

After an endoscopy, gastroenterologists can help convey their findings and suggest a comprehensive treatment plan. As experts in digestive health, gastroenterologists have all the tools required to help patients identify and assess their GI symptoms and provide answers to their health concerns. 

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Dr. Ernest Castro — Denver’s Premier Endoscopy Provider

Endoscopy provides valuable insight into the human digestive tract, helping gastroenterologists diagnose and treat otherwise undetectable diseases through simple observation. By assisting medical professionals in gathering evidence of disease and obtaining tissue samples for further analysis, endoscopy is critical to the early detection of disease and cancer. 

If you are experiencing upper GI issues, visiting gastroenterologists can help you find the answers to improve your quality of life. Dr. Ernest Castro, M.D. is Denver’s premier gastroenterology choice, including colon and endoscopy screenings. Offering personalized care with accurate and timely diagnoses, Dr. Castro helps patients better understand their health and take the following steps for treatment, allowing them to experience a higher quality of life. For more information or to schedule an endoscopy, visit our website to request an appointment or call (720) 605-7094.