A double-contrast barium enema is a form of
contrast radiography in which
x-rays of the
colon and
rectum
The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals, and the Gastrointestinal tract, gut in others. The adult human rectum is about long, and begins at the rectosigmoid junction (the end of the s ...
are taken using two forms of
contrast to make the structures easier to see. A liquid containing
barium
Barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. It is the fifth element in group 2 and is a soft, silvery alkaline earth metal. Because of its high chemical reactivity, barium is never found in nature as a free element.
Th ...
(that is, a
radiocontrast agent) is put into the rectum. Barium is a silver-white metallic compound that outlines the colon and rectum on an
x-ray and helps show abnormalities.
Air is also put into the rectum and colon to further enhance the x-ray.
Double-contrast barium enemas are less invasive than a
colonoscopy
Colonoscopy () or coloscopy () is the endoscopic examination of the large bowel and the distal part of the small bowel with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. It can provide a visual diagnosis (''e. ...
and have comparatively fewer issues in a viable large bowel.
See also
*
Contrast agent
*
Lower gastrointestinal series
References
External links
Double-contrast barium enemaentry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
Projectional radiography
Digestive system imaging
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