Question: How to diagnose Mntriers Disease ?
Answer: Health care providers base the diagnosis of Mntriers disease on a combination of symptoms, lab findings, findings on upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, and stomach biopsy results. A health care provider will begin the diagnosis of Mntriers disease by taking a patients medical and family history and performing a physical exam. However, a health care provider will confirm the diagnosis of Mntriers disease through a computerized tomography (CT) scan, an upper GI endoscopy, and a biopsy of stomach tissue. A health care provider also may order blood tests to check for infection with H. pylori or CMV.
Medical and family history. Taking a medical and family history is one of the first things a health care provider may do to help diagnose Mntriers disease. He or she will ask the patient to provide a medical and family history.
Physical exam. A physical exam may help diagnose Mntriers disease. During a physical exam, a health care provider usually
- examines a patients body - uses a stethoscope to listen to bodily sounds - taps on specific areas of the patients body
CT scan. CT scans use a combination of x rays and computer technology to create images. For a CT scan, a health care provider may give the patient a solution to drink and an injection of a special dye, called contrast medium. CT scans require the patient to lie on a table that slides into a tunnel-shaped device where an x-ray technician takes x rays. An x-ray technician performs the procedure in an outpatient center or a hospital, and a radiologista doctor who specializes in medical imaginginterprets them. The patient does not need anesthesia. CT scans can show enlarged folds in the stomach wall.
Upper GI endoscopy. This procedure involves using an endoscopea small, flexible tube with a lightto see the upper GI tract, which includes the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. A gastroenterologista doctor who specializes in digestive diseasesperforms the test at a hospital or an outpatient center. The gastroenterologist carefully feeds the endoscope down the esophagus and into the stomach. A small camera mounted on the endoscope transmits a video image to a monitor, allowing close examination of the stomach lining. The gastroenterologist also can take a biopsy of the stomach tissue during the endoscopy. A health care provider may give a patient a liquid anesthetic to gargle or may spray anesthetic on the back of the patients throat. A health care provider will place an intravenous (IV) needle in a vein in the arm to administer sedation. Sedatives help patients stay relaxed and comfortable. The test can show enlarged folds in the stomach wall.
Biopsy. Biopsy is a procedure that involves taking a piece of stomach tissue for examination with a microscope. A gastroenterologist performs the biopsy at the time of upper GI endoscopy. A pathologista doctor who specializes in diagnosing diseasesexamines the stomach tissue in a lab. The test can diagnose Mntriers disease by showing changes in the stomachs mucous cells and acid-producing cells.
Blood test. A health care provider will take a blood sample that can show the presence of infection with H. pylori or CMV. A blood test involves drawing blood at a health care providers office or a commercial facility and sending the sample to a lab for analysis.