• Computerized tomography (CT): You may have a CT scan — a special X-ray technique that provides more detail than a standard X-ray does. This test looks at the entire bowel as well as at tissues outside the bowel. CT enterography is a special CT scan that provides better images of the small bowel.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI scanner uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues. MRI is particularly useful for evaluating a fistula around the anal area (pelvic MRI) or the small intestine (MR enterography).
• Capsule endoscopy: For this test, you swallow a capsule that has a camera in it. The camera takes pictures of your small intestine and transmits them to a recorder you wear on your belt. The images are then downloaded to a computer, displayed on a monitor and checked for signs of Crohn's disease. The camera exits your body painlessly in your stool.
Read more: Complications of crohn's disease (part 3)
• Balloon-assisted enteroscopy: For this test, a scope is used in conjunction with a device called an overtube. This enables the doctor to look further into the small bowel where standard endoscopes don't reach. This technique is useful when capsule endoscopy shows abnormalities but the diagnosis is still in question.
Courtesy: Mayo Clinic
