A salt of barium not soluble in water and which shows as opaque in X-ray photographs.
A radio-opaque white powder used in X-ray examinations of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. The barium sulphate may be swallowed to enable the oesophagus, stomach and small and large intestines to be assessed for disorders such as ulceration, tumours, diverticular disease and polyps. It may also be inserted into the rectum or descending colon by enema to investigate for possible disease. These procedures are usually done after endoscopy examinations have been carried out.
Barium, a salt utilized in solution form, serves as a contrast medium during X-ray examinations of the intestinal tract. Being opaque to X-rays, barium enables the visualization of the contours of hollow internal organs that would otherwise remain invisible.