_ Imaging tests are different from endoscopic tests (like a colonoscopy or bronchoscopy), which put a flexible, lighted tube with a lens or a video camera inside the body. Endoscopic tests allow doctors to see inside parts of the body as if they were looking with the naked eye, more like real pictures. These are very different from the images the doctor gets from imaging tests.
Gastroscopy (endoscopic examination of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum) is performed in patients with established cirrhosis to exclude the possibility of esophageal varices. If these are found, prophylactic local therapy may be applied (sclerotherapy or banding) and beta blocker treatment may be commenced.
Diseases of the bile ducts, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), can be causes of cirrhosis. Imaging of the bile ducts can show abnormalities in these patients, and may aid in the diagnosis.