Scintigraphic measurement of gastric emptying and ultrasonographic assessment of antral area: relation to appetite.
BACKGROUND
Ultrasound measurement of gastric emptying has potential advantages over scintigraphy, but there is little information about its accuracy.


OBJECTIVE
The relation between ultrasonographic measurements of antral area and (a) scintigraphic measurements of gastric emptying and intragastric distribution of liquids (b) postprandial satiation, were evaluated.


METHODS
Seven normal volunteers were studied.


METHODS
Each subject drank 75 g dextrose dissolved in 350 ml of water (300 kcal) or beef soup (20 kcal), both labelled with technetium-99m sulphur colloid on separate days and had measurement of gastric emptying by scintigraphy and ultrasound.


RESULTS
Scintigraphic and ultrasound 50% emptying times (T50s) were comparable and longer (p < 0.001) for dextrose than soup mean (SEM) (dextrose 107 (16) min v 108 (18) min, soup 24 (4) min v 23 (5) min). There were close correlations between scintigraphic and ultrasound T50s (dextrose r = 0.94, p < 0.005, soup r = 0.97, p < 0.001) and between the time at which the distal stomach content decreased from its maximum value by 50% (measured scintigraphically) and the ultrasound T50 (dextrose r = 0.95, p < 0.005, soup r = 0.99, p < 0.0001). In contrast, there was no significant relation between the distal stomach content when expressed as a percentage of the maximum content in the total stomach and the ultrasound T50. After dextrose, fullness was related (r = 0.92, p < 0.01) to the postprandial increase in antral area measured by ultrasound.


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasound measurements of gastric emptying are: (a) of comparable sensitivity to scintigraphy in quantifying emptying of both low and high nutrient liquids (b) correlate with postprandial satiation, suggesting that the latter may be mediated by antral distension.
Hveem
K
K
Department of Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia.
Jones
K L
KL
Chatterton
B E
BE
Horowitz
M
M
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods; D012527:Satiation / Q000502:physiology*; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid; D014463:Ultrasonography
D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid