title: Delayed gastric emptying of both the liquid and solid components of a meal in chronic liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate gastric emptying in patients with chronic liver disease and portal hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured gastric emptying of both the liquid and solid components of a meal in 10 consecutive patients with chronic liver disease and portal hypertension, but free of ascites, and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. In the patients with liver disease, relationships between emptying and liver function were examined. To measure gastric emptying, subjects consumed a test meal that consisted of scrambled eggs labeled with 99mTc-sulfur colloid and 4 oz of water labeled with 111In-diethylene triamine pentacetic acid (DTPA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with liver disease and portal hypertension demonstrated delayed emptying of both the liquid (t1/2, min, mean +/- SE, patients vs.
  
  
  METHODS
  69.4 +/- 19.4 vs. 31.4 +/- 1.8, p < 0.01) and solid (post-lag phase solid emptying: 141 +/- 32.9 vs. 69.8 +/- 4.6, p < 0.006) components of the meal. We could not identify any correlation between gastric emptying and tests of liver function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gastric emptying is delayed in patients with liver disease and portal hypertension; this abnormal gastric motor function may contribute to the pathophysiology of foregut complaints in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Galati
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Holdeman
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Dalrymple
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Quigley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000503:physiopathology; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
chemical_list: D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid; D004369:Pentetic Acid