Scintigraphic evaluation of small bowel transit in healthy subjects: inter- and intrasubject variability.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to evaluate inter- and intrasubject variability of small bowel transit time and the effect of age and sex on transit in the small bowel.


METHODS
Ten young subjects (five females) and nine elderly subjects (four females) were studied. Small bowel transit time was assessed by scintigraphic method using 99mtechnetium-sulfur colloid-labeled eggs. To evaluate intrasubject variability, 10 subjects underwent a second study on a later occasion.


RESULTS
Mean small bowel transit time was 220.9 +/- 49 min with a range of 131 to 322 min, with no significant difference between the young and elderly groups or between sexes. There was a good intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility within the same test (r = 0.92 and r = 0.85, respectively). There was a significant biological variability between the first and the second studies, which was true whether the studies were processed independently (r = 0.43) or whether identical regions of interest were applied (r = 0.50).


CONCLUSIONS
The normal range of small bowel transit time is wide in normal subjects; and there is a significant intrasubject biological variability for small bowel transit time. These findings should be kept in mind when using scintigraphic techniques for assessment of patients with motility disorders or when using the test repeatedly in the same subject in the evaluation of therapeutic measures. The results do not seem to be affected by age or sex.
Argenyi
E E
EE
Department of Radiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
Soffer
E E
EE
Madsen
M T
MT
Berbaum
K S
KS
Walkner
W O
WO
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid