Why Is Endoscopy Done For Hepatitis C?

Posted on Wed, 7 May 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 7 May 2014 Answered on

Mon, 2 Jun 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : yES, AS A MATTER OF FACT, PLEASE....WHY WOULD AN GASTROENTOLOGIST ORDER AN ENDOCOPY ON MY INSTEAD OF TREATING THE hEPATITIS C WHICH HE ALREADY KNOWS IS THERE, ALONG WITH MY INFLAMMED LIVER?

Answered by Dr. Enrique Molina (49 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
cirrhosis?

Detailed Answer:
if you have cirrhosis due to your hepatitis C he might be looking for esophageal varices (these are varicose veins that bulge in the esophagus, and can get big without giving you any symptoms, until these burst and bleed!).
if you are having any symptoms (such as abdominal pain), he would want to make sure you don't have any gastric or duodenal ulcers as the cause of the pain.
Hepatitis C should not cause any pain itself.
The treatment for hepatitis C can be potentially rough (although newer medications are available), and your doctor needs to make sure you are in good shape to tolerate it, particularly if you are going to get interferon injections as part as the treatment. hope that helps.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar