title: Gastric emptying of solids in patients with nonobstructive Crohn's disease is sometimes delayed.
abstract: To date, only a few studies of gastric emptying in Crohn's disease have been published in the literature. This might be clinically important because slow-release drug formulations are increasingly available for treatment. Studies in children with gastric involvement suggest that gastric emptying may be delayed in this condition. We studied the scintigraphic gastric emptying of 21 adult patients with nonobstructive Crohn's disease and without gastric or duodenal involvement by the disease, compared with that of 20 healthy volunteers. Overall, no significant differences were found, but subgroup analysis showed that symptomatic patients [half-time (t1/2) 133 +/- 75.9] and those with colonic involvement (t1/2 127.2 +/- 64) had a significantly (p < 0.01) delayed gastric emptying over controls (t1/2 85.5 +/- 15.4). Such a difference was also observed between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (p < 0.05). We conclude that gastric emptying is slowed in symptomatic patients with nonobstructive Crohn's disease and in those with colonic involvement. This may have therapeutic implications.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Gastroenterologia, Ospedale Casa-Sollievo della Sofferenza, IRCCS, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Annese
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bassotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Frusciante
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conoscitore
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Germani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andriulli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013270:Stomach / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid