Fan upper endoscopy, also known as esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), is a procedure used to determine the cause of gastrointestinal disorders and symptoms including heartburn,
Barrett's esophagus, the presence of
hiatal hernias, the cause of
abdominal pain, unexplained anemia, and the cause of swallowing difficulties, upper GI bleeding, and the presence of tumors or ulcers. An upper endoscopy lets your doctor examine the lining of the upper part of your
gastrointestinal tract, which includes the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (first portion of the small intestine).
This procedure is the best option for a physician to determine the cause of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, and it is also more accurate than an x-ray for detecting inflammation, ulcers and tumors of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. Your doctor might use upper endoscopy to obtain a biopsy (small tissue samples) to distinguish between benign and malignant (cancerous) tissues.