Pathology and screening
Upper endoscopy (gastroscopy) report explainer
Upper endoscopy goes by several names (gastroscopy, OGD, EGD), and its report runs through three organs in a few terse lines full of words such as erythema, erosion and Z-line. Add your report below to see each organ listed with what was found there and which samples were taken.
Explain your upper endoscopy (gastroscopy) report
- 1. Add itDrop a PDF, take a photo or paste the text.
- 2. Check itPersonal details are removed on your device. You approve what is sent.
- 3. Read itSummary, table of results, terms and questions to ask.
The explainer opens on its own page with no adverts and no outside scripts. Your file is read on your device and is never uploaded.
What you get
- Esophagus, stomach and duodenum listed separately with the findings for each.
- Descriptive words such as erythema, erosion, ulcer and hiatus hernia defined.
- Grades and classifications, such as Los Angeles or Forrest, named and kept exactly as written.
- Biopsy sites and any quick test done on the day, such as a CLO test, listed with the result if one is given.
Wording you may see
- OGD and EGDThe full name of the test abbreviated in British and in American spelling (oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy)
- GOJ, GEJ and Z-lineThe junction where the esophagus meets the stomach
- Fundus, body, antrum and pylorusThe parts of the stomach, from the top to the outlet
- D1 and D2The first and second parts of the duodenum, which is the start of the small bowel
- Erythema, erosion and ulcerRedness, a shallow break in the lining, and a deeper break
- Hiatus herniaPart of the stomach sitting above the diaphragm, usually given with a length in cm
- CLO test or rapid urease testA quick test on a stomach sample for the bacterium Helicobacter pylori
What this tool cannot tell you
An endoscopy report records appearances, meaning what the lining looked like on the day. Appearance and the microscope do not always agree, so where biopsies were taken the final answer waits for the pathology report. MedicDecode restates the endoscopist's words and does not connect the findings to your symptoms or suggest treatment. The clinician who arranged the test does that once every result is in.
Common questions
Is a gastroscopy the same as an OGD or an EGD?
Yes. They are different names for the same examination of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum with a flexible camera. Which name appears depends on the country and the hospital.
My report says gastritis. Is that the final diagnosis?
In an endoscopy report the word often describes how the stomach lining looked, for example red or swollen. Whether inflammation is confirmed, and of what kind, comes from the biopsy result if samples were taken.
Why were biopsies taken if everything looked normal?
Samples are often taken as routine, even from lining that looks normal, because some things can only be seen under a microscope. The report lists where each sample came from.
Words you may see on this report
Tap a word for its plain-English meaning, an example line and what it does not mean.
- Atypical
Atypical means cells look different from normal under the microscope, but not clearly enough to be called cancer.
- Benign
Benign means not cancer. A benign growth does not spread to other parts of the body.
- Biopsy
A biopsy is a procedure to take a small sample of tissue so it can be looked at under a microscope.
- Carcinoma in situ
Carcinoma in situ means abnormal cells that look like cancer are found, but they have not grown beyond the layer where they started.
- Cytology
Cytology is the study of individual cells, usually from fluid, a smear or a fine needle sample, looked at under a microscope.
- Dysplasia
Dysplasia means cells look abnormal under the microscope in a way that is not cancer, but in some tissues may lead toward cancer if left alone.
- Grade and stage
Grade describes how abnormal cancer cells look under a microscope. Stage describes how large a cancer is and how far it has spread.
- Malignant
Malignant means cancerous. A malignant growth can grow into nearby tissue and may spread to other parts of the body.
- Margins
Margins are the edges of tissue removed in surgery. The pathologist checks whether abnormal cells reach those edges.
- Metastasis
Metastasis means cancer cells have spread from where they started to another part of the body. The plural is metastases.
- Necrosis
Necrosis means death of body tissue or cells in a particular area, caused by injury, infection, lack of blood supply or certain substances.