Pancreatitis tests include physical, blood, and stool exams, as well as CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds. The type of test depends on the patient’s condition, with CT scans used to check for inflammation or gallstones, MRIs to evaluate irregularities, and ultrasounds to look for inflammation or blockages.
Different tests for pancreatitis include a physical exam, blood test, and stool test. Additional types of tests for pancreatitis are a computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. The type of test a patient undergoes depends on her specific condition.
Pancreatitis is a medical condition in which a person has an inflamed pancreas due to abnormal activation of enzymes. A physical exam is probably one of the most basic tests for pancreatitis and can indicate various signs of the disease, including abdominal tenderness, low blood pressure, and a lump or mass. Another test, a blood test, measures elevated levels of pancreatic enzymes, such as increased blood amylase or serum blood lipase, in the body. In the case of a stool test, different levels of fat can indicate a problem with the digestive system not absorbing nutrients properly.
A CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound are all types of tests for pancreatitis that allow for a visual examination of the pancreas and surrounding area. For pancreatitis, the purpose of a CT scan may be to look at inflammation or look for any gallstones. To do this, the patient lies down on a table while the machine creates three-dimensional images.
An MRI can help evaluate any irregularities in the gallbladder, pancreas, and pancreatic or bile ducts. With the use of an MRI machine, the actual procedure, as it pertains to the pancreatic system, is called magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). In this procedure, a sedated patient lies in the machine while the machine creates cross-sectional images. The doctor injects a dye into the patient’s veins so that he gets a better view of the organs.
There are two different types of ultrasound used to diagnose pancreatitis: an abdominal ultrasound and an endoscopic ultrasound. Both of these ultrasounds help look at inflammation. An abdominal ultrasound uses a hand-held instrument that produces sound waves to create an image, or ultrasound, of your abdomen. Gallstones will show up in the sonogram if sound waves bounce off them.
An endoscopic ultrasound also uses sound waves to create an image. It is a little different from an abdominal ultrasound, however, in which your doctor first inserts a thin tube, called an endoscope, down your throat. Then it will turn on the ultrasonic accessory which produces this sound wave. An endoscopic ultrasound can check for blockages in the ducts.
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