In vivo and in vitro assessment of barium sulphate suspensions.

In vitro methods of testing the efficiency of barium sulphate suspensions in delineating mucosal detail using canine cadaveric stomachs have been described in the literature. In this study a comparison is made between in vitro and in vivo tests in the stomach and small intestine of dogs, using several brands of barium sulphate. The results indicate that there is considerable variation in the behavior of these suspensions between the in vitro and in vivo tests particularly in the stomach. It is our view that in vitro tests of this sort are of little value for assessing the relative advantages and disadvantages of these suspensions in demonstrating mucosal detail.