title: Measurement and evaluation of gastric emptying using radiopaque barium markers.
abstract: To simplify assessment of gastric emptying, we have developed a radiopaque barium marker method. The subjects were 11 healthy volunteers, 30 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis, 16 patients with dysmotility-like dyspepsia, 7 patients with irritable bowel syndrome, and 6 patients with diabetes mellitus. We tested three types of radiopaque markers with manometry by a three-channel strain gauge transducer. The 4.5-mm ring-shaped markers with a specific gravity of 1.2 were emptied from the stomach in correlation with the number of high-amplitude (>50 mm Hg) antral contractions. The percentage of residual markers at 2 hr was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in patients with irritable bowed syndrome than in normal controls, and at 5 hr it was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in patients with systemic sclerosis with esophageal dysmotility, dysmotility-like dyspepsia, or diabetes than in normal controls. This radiopaque barium marker method may be useful as a screening test for determining whether gastric emptying is rapid or delayed.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kusano
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sekiguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003287:Contrast Media; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000503:physiopathology; D015154:Esophageal Motility Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate