MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Endoscope

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Endoscope

Contents of this page:
Definition

Definition

An endoscope is a device with a light attached that is used to look inside a body cavity or organ. The scope is inserted through a natural opening, such as the mouth during a bronchoscopy, the rectum for a sigmoidoscopy, or the vagina for a cystoscopy.

A medical procedure using any type of endoscope is called endoscopy.

See also:

Update Date: 5/17/2007

Updated by: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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