Imaging of the gastrointestinal tract

Imaging has become increasingly important in the diagnosis of patients presenting with abdominal symptoms, a very common scenario in clinical practice. The introduction of new imaging techniques has altered the way many bowel pathologies are now investigated.This article concentrates on the role of imaging in the assessment of patients who present with symptoms or signs related to the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract, excluding the hepatobiliary system and pancreatic disease (these will be covered elsewhere). Imaging strategies are presented in relation to common or important clinical presentations, with discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of individual modalities. This article will also include newer applications such as computed tomography (CT) colonography, CT angiographic techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endoluminal ultrasound.