PUD is proven by undergoing endoscopy of the stomach, called oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (OGD), where a fibre-optic tube with a camera attachment is passed, after a local anaesthetic spray, via the mouth through the oesophagus to the stomach and into the duodenum. This enables the viewing and photography of abnormal portions and the taking of biopsies - tiny mucosal samples of tissue, which are tested for helicobacter pylori (HP)and to exclude more sinister diagnoses like cancer.
Although OGD takes less than five minutes, patients can choose to be sedated with a short-acting intravenous drug so that they can be asleep during the procedure.
Is there any other way to diagnose peptic ulcer?
Barium meal, where a drink containing barium salt is used to outline the stomach lining before taking x-rays of the stomach and duodenum. It is done when OGD is not performed for various reasons.
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