Can erosion be diagnosed with barium swallow?

kellymoos · May 30, 2005

My guess would be that if you have erosion and there is a hole in your stomach than the barium would flow through the hole to the outside of your stomach...Does anyone know if this is true?

PamRN · May 30, 2005

You can have erosion without having total penetration through the stomach wall. Those would be diagnosed by visualization via a epigastric scope. A CT scan should definitely see a perforated stomach with contrast.

DeLarla · May 30, 2005

Kelly, they can "detect" erosion in a barium swallow, but you need an endscopy to confirm the diagnosis. You're right, if there's erosion, the barium will flow around the outside of the band instead of through it, which is seen under x-ray. Once the doctor detects it during the barium swallow, he won't give you a fill but instead will schedule the endo.

This goes back to the old debate of getting fills with fluro vs. non-fluoro. An occasional non-flouro fill is fine as long as you get your band looked at under x-ray from time to time.

La_madam · May 30, 2005

With a barium swallow in regards to erosion the barium will flow over the band and not through it is what I was told by my Dr.

Alexandra · May 30, 2005

Yeah, Kelly, a fluoroscopy is the first diagnostic test that would be done. Erosion can be detected that way depending on the degree. I don't know if it can be ruled out that way, though, so if there are symptoms of concern it might be a good idea to have an endoscopy anyway.

Please tell me you're not asking for yourself? Is everything OK?

kellymoos · May 30, 2005

Everything is fine!!!! I was just wondering....I had a barium swallow a couple of months ago and was just wondering if I had erosion could they tell with the barium swallow. I posted pictures of the barium swallow on here...but, I have always wondered that and knew that I could come here and get answers!!!!

But, I am always scared of erosion!!

Thanks everyone for your answers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!