Peptic Ulcer Diagnosis.
To understand the basic principle behind diagnosis of stomach ulcer, you should read what is peptic ulcer, causes of ulcer, symptoms of ulcer. The diagnosis of ulcer is done with an endoscope to view the ulcer directly, with a breadth analyzer test and testing of blood and feces for H. pylori.
Diagnosing Peptic Ulcer.
1) Endoscopy for diagnosis of ulcer.
The presence of peptic ulcer is confirmed with help of an instrument called the endoscope ( also called the gastroscope). This instrument consists of a narrow flexible tube fitted with a telescopic camera.
The endoscope is passed through the mouth into the stomach and the inside of the stomach is viewed directly. With the help of the inbuilt camera in the endoscope, pictures or a video can also be taken. The sight of an ulcer confirms the diagnosis. Endoscopy is performed in an operation theatre with the necessary sterile precautions. Biopsy can also be performed and the sample of the tissue taken can be sent to histopathology to rule out malignancy.
2) Test for diagnosing presence of H. Pylori:
- Urea breath test : The patient is given a liquid to drink which contains urea . In the stomach, H. pylori ( if present) breaks down the urea into water and carbon dioxide. With the help of the breath analyzer machine, the breath is tested for levels of carbon dioxide. Normally, carbon dioxide is present in our expelled breath, but presence of carbon dioxide beyond a certain level confirms the presence of H. Pylori.
- Alternatively, Blood and faeces can be tested for the presence of H. Pylori.
Helicobacter Pylori image
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