An endoscopy is a procedure used in medicine to look inside the body. The endoscopy procedure uses an endoscope to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike many other medical imaging techniques, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ. There are many types of endoscopies.

What does an endoscopy test for?

Diagnose. Your doctor may use an endoscopy to collect tissue samples (biopsy) to test for diseases and conditions, such as anemia, bleeding, inflammation, diarrhea or cancers of the digestive system.

What is the difference between an endoscopy and a colonoscopy?

Endoscopy is a nonsurgical procedure to examine the digestive tract. A colonoscopy is a type of endoscopy that examines the lower part of your digestive tract that includes the rectum and large intestine (colon).