Barium enema

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Barium enema

Barium enema

Rectal cancer, X-ray

Sigmoid colon cancer, X-ray

Lower gastrointestinal series

Barium should fill the colon uniformly, showing normal bowel shape and position, and an open passage free of obstruction.

Abnormal findings may include cancer, diverticulitis (small pouches formed on the colon wall that can become inflamed), polyps (a tumor, usually noncancerous, that grows on the mucous membrane ), inflammation of the inner lining of the intestine (ulcerative colitis ), and irritable colon. An acute appendicitis or twisted loop of the bowel may also be seen.

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

• Annular pancreas
• CMV gastroenteritis/colitis
• Colorectal polyps
• Crohn's disease  (regional enteritis)
• Hirschsprung's disease
• Intestinal obstruction
• Intussusception (children)
• Pyloric stenosis

Review Date: 08/03/2005
Reviewed By: Jonathan Gross, M.D., Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.