What is Lower Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract Radiography?
This is an x-ray evaluation of the large intestine, also known as the colon. This includes the right or ascending colon, the transverse colon, the left or descending colon and the rectum. The appendix may be seen if it is present and a portion of the small intestine may be visualized as well. Radiological images are created by passing small, highly controlled amounts of radiation through the body and capturing the resulting shadows and reflections on film. Most people are familiar with x-ray images, which produce a still picture of the body’s internal organs. A similar imaging method, fluoroscopy, uses x-rays to capture an image of an organ while it is functioning. Though still x-ray images can be useful in examining the colon and rectum, dynamic fluoroscopy is often the most effective way to view abnormal or blocked movement of waste through the body’s lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
