The intestine is an organ of the digestive system that performs very important functions in the human body, but today intestinal pathologies are very common. Conducting preventive examinations of the intestine in order to prevent the development of various diseases comes to the fore. In this article, we will talk about what methods of examining the intestines medicine offers, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of the methods.
What is the gut for?
The intestine is an organ located in the abdominal cavity and is involved in the process of digestion. It absorbs nutrients, which later enter the bloodstream. Undigested substances are excreted from the body in the form of feces along with intestinal gases.
The length of the human intestine reaches four meters. It contains a huge number of bacteria that providedigestion processes, therefore it is very important that the microflora of the body is in constant balance. Otherwise, the body will fail, which will lead to the development of various pathologies. Bowel dysfunction can present with a variety of symptoms, among which the most obvious are abdominal rumbling, flatulence, pain, diarrhea, stool retention, chronic constipation, etc.
Diseases of the intestines, as a rule, have an infectious or parasitic nature. Infectious pathologies include syphilis, tuberculosis, dysentery, etc.; to parasitic ones - scarabiasis, diphyllobothriasis, trichinosis, intestinal myiasis, trichocephalosis, etc. Various methods of examining the intestines are used to diagnose all these diseases.
Intestinal structure
The anatomical structure of the organ is represented by two segments:
- small intestine,
- large intestine.
The small intestine is located between the stomach and the large intestine. It is where the process of digestion takes place. This section of the intestine is divided into the following components:
- duodenum,
- jejunum,
- ileum.
The small intestine got its name because, in comparison with the anatomical structure of the large intestine, it has less thick and strong walls. In addition, the diameter of the section of its departments is much smaller.
The large intestine is the lower part of the digestive tract wherewater and feces are formed. Its length is approximately 1.5–2 m.
The large intestine is represented by segments:
- caecum and appendix,
- colon, which includes ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon and sigmoid colon,
- rectum with wide part and terminal tapering part.
I must say that the methods of examining the intestines are very similar for both the small intestine and the large intestine, although there are nuances.
Relevance of bowel examination
Today, intestinal pathologies are very common. Unfortunately, there are often serious diseases - oncological neoplasms. About 1 million new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed every year worldwide. Half of the patients diagnosed with this disease die. Oncology of the intestine occupies a leading position among all malignant tumors. Therefore, it becomes relevant to conduct preventive examinations of the intestine in order to prevent the development of diseases.
Modern diagnostic methods make it possible to detect various intestinal pathologies in the early stages and begin immediate treatment, which increases the patient's chances for a speedy recovery or at least maintaining his quality of life at a good level. More in demand is the diagnosis of diseases of the colon, because serious disorders occur in these parts of the intestine. Medicine offers patients a range of diagnostic methodsthis body, including:
- capsule examination,
- colonoscopy,
- endoscopy,
- MRI diagnostics,
- irrigoscopy.
Intestinal examination with video capsule
Among all the available diagnostic methods, this method is considered the most painless and at the same time quite informative. The essence of the study is that the patient swallows a capsule equipped with a video camera. Once in the human body, the “device” travels through all parts of the gastrointestinal tract, taking a photo every two seconds. The data from the chip is processed by a special program, and medical conclusions are made based on the results obtained.
You must first prepare for the procedure. On the eve of the manipulation, food intake is prohibited, the study is performed on an empty stomach. A device is attached to the human body, which will record the results of the study. The diagnostic procedure takes about eight hours, during which the patient leads a normal life - goes about his business, without disturbing the daily rhythm. After the examination, the capsule dissolves and is excreted from the body in a natural way.
The most modern methods of examining the intestines today are represented by the use of video capsules, although this method has its drawbacks. Such manipulation is very expensive. The fact is that "smart" capsules cost about 1 thousand USD. e., and only two countries offer them today - Japan and Israel, market leaderssimilar services. The CIS countries do not yet have their own production of diagnostic chips.
Intestinal endoscopy
Endoscope is an optical device used in medicine to examine hollow human organs, such as the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. In most cases, it is injected through a natural body opening, less often through surgical incisions.
Endoscopic methods of examination of the intestine are prescribed for suspected presence of polyps or tumor formations in the intestine. Before the procedure, the patient should carefully prepare the body - cleanse the intestines. Today, this measure is easily performed through special medications. The doctor introduces an ultrasonic sensor into the intestine, which allows you to examine in detail the mucous membrane and the condition of the walls of the organ under study. In order to clarify the results during the procedure, biological material may be taken for additional laboratory tests.
Endoscopic ultrasound of the large intestine is performed in most cases, except when the patient has diseases of the heart and blood vessels or lungs. This is directly related to the need to take special drugs. However, the advisability of conducting such a study is decided individually in each case.
Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy is a research method based on the use of a special device - a fibrocolonoscope - a plastic tourniquet with an optical system. Similar studyrecommended for preventive purposes to perform every five years for people over forty years of age and those who have heredity aggravated by oncological pathologies of the intestine.
Before the procedure, it is necessary to clean the intestines with the help of medications. Typically, a colonoscopy lasts no more than 30-40 minutes, but it is a rather unpleasant procedure. The patient may experience discomfort due to the fact that the intestines are filled with air, and the person has a feeling of bloating. Methods for examining the intestine with a fibrocolonoscope also allow sampling biomaterial for histological analysis. In addition to diagnostic functions, colonoscopy allows you to remove polyps or benign formations of small sizes. Using this technique, adhesions in the intestine can also be detected. The results of the study are ready, as a rule, immediately after the manipulation.
Irrigoscopy
The method of irrigoscopy is a method of examining the intestines using X-rays. Before the procedure, the patient must carefully prepare the body - cleanse the intestines, while eating is not allowed. Immediately before the study, a liquid is introduced into the body, which contains a radiopaque preparation - barium sulfate. The essence of the study is as follows. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, the solution fills all areas of the intestine and allows you to evaluate the contours and degree of intestinal lumen in the pictures. The procedure can be supplemented by another manipulation. After the contrastthe substance is excreted from the body, air is injected into the intestines - this provides an additional opportunity to examine in detail the contours of the organ departments.
This technique makes it possible to diagnose fistulas, malformations at birth, ulcers, scars, but is considered insufficiently informative. The procedure is considered conditionally safe, since during the study the body is exposed to radiation exposure.
Intestinal examination MRI
Another way to diagnose bowel diseases is magnetic resonance imaging, which is based on the use of a magnetic field in the study. This procedure is painless and is considered safe, as it does not carry a radiation load on the body. The day before, it is necessary to cleanse the intestines, and immediately before the manipulation, inject a contrast agent into the body. The study itself takes no more than ten minutes and allows you to identify serious disorders in the intestines, up to malignant tumors.
I must say that the diagnosis should be carried out in a complex manner, therefore, methods of clinical examination of the intestine are added to the above manipulations. To detect dysbacteriosis, a stool sample is taken, in addition, rectal and bacteriological studies can be carried out. Blood is taken from the patient - as a rule, both biochemical and clinical analysis of the material is performed. Modern diagnostic methods, however, will not replace digital rectalresearch.
Examination of the small intestine: methods
As noted earlier, most often serious pathologies affect the colon, but diseases of the small intestine also occur. Diagnosis, as a rule, begins with a study of the duodenum, located between the stomach and large intestine. For these purposes, fibroscopy or endoscopy is prescribed, in addition they can resort to irrigoscopy or radiography. A few days before the manipulation, the patient is advised to follow a certain diet.
With the help of endoscopy, you can not only diagnose the intestines, but also remove polyps, stop bleeding, and install a probe for food intake. The most modern method for diagnosing diseases of the small intestine is double-balloon enteroscopy, which is performed under general anesthesia. This procedure is considered quite severe and is performed only in a hospital setting. Enteroscopy is prescribed for bleeding in the small intestine, with its obstruction.
Thus, capsule examination, endoscopy, colonoscopy, barium enema and MRI are the basic methods by which the diagnosis and examination of the intestine is carried out. I must say that in general, pathological conditions of the organ are diagnosed more often in women, but this is due only to the fact that the beautiful half of humanity carefully monitors their he alth and consciously undergoes a medical examination for preventive purposes. There is also an opinion that such diseases are inherent in people with prosperity, because they are moredegrees afford refined food.
