Ingestible Contrast Agents for Gastrointestinal Imaging

Gastrointestinal (GI) ailments cover a wide variety of diseases involving the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum. They bring about many inconveniences in daily life in chronic diseases and can even be life threatening in acute cases. Rapid and safe detection approaches are essential for early diagnosis and timely management. Contrast agents for GI imaging can enhance contrast to distinguish abnormal lesions from normal structures. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are two important diagnostic tools for the evaluation of GI conditions. This review mainly involves several common GI diseases, including inflammatory diseases, intestinal tumors, diarrhea, constipation, and gastroesophageal reflux diseases. Selected contrast agents, such as barium sulfate, iodine-based agents, gadolinium-based agents, and others, are summarized. Going forward, continued endeavors are being made to develop more emerging contrast agents for other imaging modalities.