[Treatment of radiotherapy-induced gastroparesis with erythromycin].
METHODS
A 75-year-old woman who had undergone a hysterectomy with adnexectomy followed by radiotherapy for endometrial carcinoma complained of postprandial nausea with vomiting after eating solid foods and of cramp-like abdominal pain, but her appetite was good. She had lost 25 kg in weight over 13 months.


RESULTS
Physical examination, laboratory tests, radiology and gastroscopy were unremarkable. Gastric scintigraphy showed abnormally prolonged emptying.


METHODS
Nausea and vomiting stopped at once after erythromycin (a motilin agonist) had been administered. It was at first given intravenously after meals (50 mg three times daily for 5 days), then orally for 10 weeks (250 mg three times daily before meals). Subsequent examination revealed normal gastric emptying. The symptoms did not recur after erythromycin had been discontinued.


CONCLUSIONS
Erythromycin is an effective drug against gastroparesis caused by radiotherapy, because it acts even when the enteric nerves are damaged.
Sturm
A
A
Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum Essen.
von der Ohe
M
M
Rosien
U
U
Goebell
H
H
Layer
P
P
D000368:Aged; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009037:Motilin / Q000819:agonists*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects
D009037:Motilin; D004917:Erythromycin
Therapie einer radiogenen Gastroparese mit Erythromycin.