Endoscopy (as a test)
Also known as: scope test, endoscopic examination
A flexible or rigid tube with a camera passed into a body cavity through a natural opening or a small cut, so the lining can be seen directly and sampled. Each region has its own scope: the gullet and stomach (gastroscopy), the large bowel (colonoscopy), the airways (bronchoscopy), the bladder (cystoscopy) and joints (arthroscopy).
- Kind
- Diagnostic procedure
- Categories
- Endoscopy & diagnostic procedures, Gastroenterology
- Specimen
- No specimen
- Method
- Endoscopy
What it measures
| Measure | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Direct view of the lining | Inflammation, ulcers, bleeding, polyps and tumours are seen and photographed. |
| Biopsies | Tiny samples taken painlessly from the lining for microscopy. |
| Therapy | Polyps removed, bleeding stopped, narrowings stretched, stones retrieved at the same sitting. |
Why it is ordered
- Difficulty swallowing, persistent indigestion, vomiting blood, weight loss (gastroscopy)
- Bleeding from the bowel, change in bowel habit, positive stool screening test, anaemia (colonoscopy)
- Coughing blood, a shadow on a chest scan (bronchoscopy)
- Blood in the urine (cystoscopy)
- Surveillance of Barrett oesophagus, ulcerative colitis, polyps
How it is done
Usually a day case with throat spray or sedation; 10-45 minutes depending on the scope. Full details are on each procedure page.
Preparation. Fasting for upper scopes; bowel preparation laxatives for colonoscopy; stop blood thinners as instructed.
Reading the result
| Finding | Usual meaning |
|---|---|
| Ulcer with visible vessel | High re-bleeding risk; treated endoscopically |
| Polyp removed, adenoma on histology | Surveillance interval set by number and size |
| Mass biopsied, malignant | Staging scans and multidisciplinary team planning |
Reference ranges vary by laboratory, method, age, sex and clinical context; a result is read against the person, not a table.
Limitations
Invasive with small risks of bleeding and perforation; the small bowel is mostly out of reach (capsule endoscopy covers it).
Medicines monitored with this test
Each medicine page cites the official document that names this test in its monitoring plan.
Catalogued concepts this page covers
Concepts of the master test taxonomy that resolve to this page; each links to its category.