Ultrasound measurement of gastric emptying of a solid test meal. Correlation with scintigraphy in diabetic patients and reproducibility in healthy probands

• Published in: Ultraschall in der Medizin Vol. 15; no. 4; p. 207
• Main Authors: Pfaffenbach, B, Schaffstein, J, Wegener, M, Adamek, R J, Wedmann, B, Uffmann, M, Wissuwa, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01.08.1994
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Diabetes Mellitus - diagnostic imaging; Female; Gastric Emptying - physiology; Gastroparesis - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Reference Values; Reproducibility of Results; Ultrasonography
• ISSN: 0172-4614

Measurement of gastric emptying of liquids by sagittal antral planimetry is established. Ultrasonic measurement of gastric emptying of solids has not been assessed although gastroparesis often reveals a delayed gastric emptying of solids first. Therefore in this prospective study we used a solid meal (50 g rye bread, 1 egg, 40 g butter, 200 ml orange juice; 280 kcal) to examine intraindividual reproducibility of ultrasound in 20 healthy volunteers. Moreover, in 20 diabetics antral planimetry assessed by ultrasound was compared to scintigraphy. Antral planimetry showed a coefficient of variation, that was nearly three times greater between subjects than between two measurements performed on the same subject. This results reflect a good intraindividual reproducibility. Gastric emptying half-times assessed by ultrasound and scintigraphy did not correlate in diabetics (R = 0.2). However, correlation between sonographic measurement of antral area and scintigraphy at defined times (60, 120, 180, 240 min) was significant (R = 0.7; p < 0.001). These results imply that ultrasonic antral planimetry is a suitable orientating method for measuring gastric emptying of solids.