Finding the right tests…
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Finding the right tests…
X-Ray
A barium enema fills your colon and rectum with a liquid barium mixture introduced through a thin tube in the rectum, rather than by swallowing, so the contrast coats the large intestine from the far end instead of passing down from the stomach. X-rays taken as the barium moves and settles show the shape, width, and lining of the colon in a way plain films cannot. This standard, single-contrast version is used to look for colon cancer, polyps, diverticula, or the pattern of inflammation seen in ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease affecting the large intestine, and to investigate unexplained blood in the stool or a change in bowel habit.
The images show the shape, width, and inner lining of your colon and rectum as the barium fills them, flagging narrowing, filling defects that suggest a polyp or tumor, and the small pouches called diverticula. The pattern and spread of any lining changes are also read to help distinguish inflammatory conditions from other causes.
Where an upper GI barium meal is swallowed, a barium enema is introduced the opposite way, through the rectum, so it coats the colon from below rather than tracking down from the stomach.
As barium fills the colon, it outlines the bowel wall well enough to show growths, narrowed segments, or the small out-pouchings called diverticula. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease also produce patterns of lining change that can be seen on these images, which helps your doctor tell one type of colon inflammation from another.
Colonoscopy and CT colonography are now used more often than a barium enema for colon cancer screening, since a camera-based exam can also remove a polyp found during the same procedure. A barium enema still has a place when those options are not suitable or not available, or when a doctor specifically wants this kind of structural image.
A barium enema is an X-ray study that outlines your colon with contrast, while a colonoscopy uses a camera to look at the lining directly and can remove a polyp during the same visit. Colonoscopy and CT colonography are now used more often for colon cancer screening.
Through the rectum, using a thin, lubricated tube. This is different from an upper GI barium meal, which is swallowed.
Yes, it can show growths or narrowed segments that raise concern for cancer, though your doctor may still recommend a colonoscopy to confirm a finding with a tissue sample.
This standard version uses barium alone, while a double contrast study adds air after most of the barium drains out, which can show the lining in more detail. Your doctor chooses which one fits your situation.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
Yes, your stool may look pale or chalky for a few days as the barium clears. Tell your doctor if this continues much longer than that.
You may feel bloated or crampy as the colon fills with barium, but it is not usually described as painful. Tell the technologist if you feel significant discomfort.
Bowel preparation matters a lot for how clearly this test comes out, but the exact steps vary by centre. Ask your doctor or the centre directly for their specific instructions.