Background A pulmonary ventilation-perfusion scan (V/Q scan) is a nuclear medicine scan that uses radioactive material to examine air flow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) through the lungs. In respiratory physiology, Q is the letter to describe blood flow, hence…
Background Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a noninvasive special type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that utilizes a powerful magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the hepatobiliary and pancreatic systems, including the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts,…
Background Colonoscopy is an endoscopic technique used to visualize the colon for screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic purposes. A sigmoidoscopy allows for visualization of the distal part of the large intestine between the descending colon and rectum. The suffix “-scopy” is…
Background Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a noninvasive test that was originally developed to visualize abnormalities of the small intestine but may now be used to diagnose and monitor various disease processes throughout the entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The word “endoscopy”…
Background Gastric emptying study (GES) is a noninvasive nuclear medicine test used to evaluate patients with suspected gastric motility disorders. As its name suggests, it is used to determine the amount of time required for the stomach to empty after…
Background Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an invasive test used to visualize the common bile duct (CBD) and pancreatic duct for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in a variety of biliary and pancreatic disorders. The term endoscopic is derived from Greek…