# What is Gastrografin Small Bowel Study & Radioactive Isotope study (egg test)



## 2btrue (Jul 22, 2003)

I am hoping that someone can tell me more about the tests and also what the difference between the two are. Do they show the entire intestines? My doctor wants me to have both done but I havent heard of them before.


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

Gastrografin is an iodine-based dye you drink used in X-ray studies, such as CT scan or small bowel study. Barium may be used if you are allergic to it instead.The other is transit scintigraphy study. In this case the eggs are made radioactive and pictures are taken of the stomach and intestine as the eggs move through them. Basically, what is done at Temple.


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

You can have the pill camera.This is a new non-invasive way to see very clearly the inside of the small bowel which is hard to evaluate with the others tests.The pill camera take many photos of the entire G.I. tract but there is only few docs who use it.It does not hurt apparently and you can keep it after it pass through.


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## 2btrue (Jul 22, 2003)

Flux,What is the difference between the two tests, what does the one show that the other doesn't? Why would both tests be ordered, isnt it a kind of duplication in a sense. I dont know what they do at Temple, never had either of these tests there.Can the gastragrafin test show more than a CT?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The Gastrarafin test should show your anatomy better. Usually for either X-rays or a CT scan they tend to use some sort of contrast material. The CT scan will be more detailed than the X-ray. But costs much more. If they do a series they will probably do X-rays.The radioactive egg tests allows them to quantify how much radioactivity is where more than you could with how much contrast material is where. So it helps with how well you are moving the stuff along (how many minutes it takes the stomach to empty) but I think it will not show your anatomy nearly as well.K.


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

> quote:What is the difference between the two tests, what does the one show that the other doesn't? Why would both tests be ordered, isnt it a kind of duplication in a sense.


The small bowel study is the probably the common diagnostic test in the gut. It is used to diagnose a whole host of abnormalities that show up on x-ray (e.g, ulcers, cancers, obstructions).CT shows the organs from foot-on point of view and probably more easily diagnose tumors, cysts and thngs of that nature.The scintigraphy studies only transit. It is similar to the sitz marker study in that regard.


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