Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Español
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

barium-meal photofluorography

(BAYR-ee-um … FOH-toh-floor-AH-gruh-fee)
A procedure that uses x-rays to take a series of pictures of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). The x-ray pictures are taken after the patient drinks a liquid that contains barium (a silver-white metallic compound). The barium coats and outlines the inner walls of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum so they can be seen on the x-ray pictures. Photographs are then taken of the x-ray images and made into a short film to make the organs easier to see. This makes it possible to see the motion of the organs and exposes the patient to less radiation.
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms