What does gastroscopy mean?
Gastroscopy is the medical examination of the upper digestive tract, especially the stomach, using a flexible endoscope passed through the mouth. A doctor can view the oesophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum directly, take small tissue samples, and sometimes remove polyps or treat minor bleeding during the procedure. Although it is often described informally as a scope of the stomach, gastroscopy may examine more than the stomach alone. The term is most often encountered in clinical reports, referral letters, and discussions of digestive complaints. British and American patients may hear it called an upper GI endoscopy, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, or EGD. The word is useful because it identifies a specific diagnostic procedure rather than endoscopy in general, which may also refer to examinations of other parts of the body such as the colon.
nounA medical examination of the upper digestive tract, especially the stomach, using a flexible endoscope passed through the mouth. The examination may also include the oesophagus and upper duodenum and is commonly used to investigate symptoms such as persistent vomiting, upper abdominal pain, bleeding, or difficulty swallowing.
- The medical examination of the upper digestive tract, particularly the stomach, by means of an endoscope passed through the mouth.
"The specialist recommended a gastroscopy to investigate the source of the patient's recurrent stomach bleeding."
"She underwent a gastroscopy after developing difficulty swallowing and unexplained weight loss."
"The gastroscopy revealed inflammation in the lining of the oesophagus and stomach."
A countable medical procedure; one performs, schedules, or undergoes a gastroscopy, and a patient may have one or more gastroscopies.
"The doctor performed two gastroscopies during the patient's evaluation."
A gastroscopy explores the hidden lining of the upper digestive tract without a surgical incision—a camera-powered tour of the gut.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gastroscopy come from?
Gastroscopy combines Greek gastēr, meaning “stomach,” with -scopy, a form of Greek skopos and skopein associated with looking or examining. The compound developed alongside the nineteenth-century use of endoscopic instruments in medicine. Its established relatives include gastroscope, gastric, gastritis, and gastroenterology, all built on the same Greek digestive-system vocabulary.
Related word forms
How gastroscopy is actually used
This is a formal medical term. In British usage, it is often discussed as an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, while the American term EGD is also common.
Easily confused with gastroscopy
A gastroscopy is the examination or procedure, whereas a gastroscope is the flexible instrument used to perform it.