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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you have stomach polyps, odds are good that your doctor detected them while looking inside your stomach because of other problems — not necessarily polyps — that may have been causing symptoms. Imaging procedures — such as X-ray and computerized tomography (CT) scan — may be used to diagnose polyps, but they're usually found incidentally when these tests are done for another reason. More commonly, polyps are found by an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a procedure in which a flexible, lighted tube is used to allow your doctor to view your esophagus, stomach and the first part of your small intestine. The device also inflates your stomach with air, allowing the doctor to look at the stomach's folds. This procedure can reveal growths, red spots, bleeding and inflammation in the stomach.
Biopsy
If polyps are found during an endoscopy, your doctor may take tissue samples (biopsy) or remove the entire growth using special tools inserted through the endoscope. These include a small cutting device or a wire loop that burns tissue then snares it. A doctor can determine which type of polyp you have by examining its cells under a microscope.
Depending on the type of polyp you have, your doctor may recommend a follow-up endoscopy in a year or two to see if more polyps have developed.
