Simplified scintigraphic methods for measuring gastrointestinal transit times.
To investigate whether simple transit measurements based on scintigraphy performed only 0, 2, 4 and 24 h after intake of a radiolabelled meal can be used to predict the mean transit time values for the stomach, the small intestine, and the colon, a study was conducted in 16 healthy volunteers. After ingestion of a meal containing 111indium-labelled water and 99mtechnetium-labelled omelette, imaging was performed at intervals of 30 min until all radioactivity was located in the colon and henceforth at intervals of 24 h until all radioactivity had cleared from the colon. Gastric, small intestinal and colonic mean transit times were calculated for both markers and compared with fractional gastric emptying at 2 h, fractional colonic filling at 4 h, and geometric centre of colonic content at 24 h, respectively. Highly significant correlations were found between gastric mean transit time and fractional gastric emptying at 2 h (111In: r=0.95, P<0.00001; 99mTc: r=0.96, P<0.00001), between small intestinal mean transit time and fractional colonic filling at 4 h (111In: r=-0.97, P<0.00001; 99mTc: r=-0.89, P<0. 00001), and between colonic mean transit time and geometric centre of colonic content at 24 h (111In: r=- 0.88, P<0.00001). We therefore conclude that reliable regional gastrointestinal transit times can be estimated from scintigraphic images taken 0, 2, 4 and 24 h after intake of radiolabelled markers.
Graff
J
J
Departments of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Brinch
K
K
Madsen
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D003106:Colon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit; D006801:Humans; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019518:Postprandial Period; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013270:Stomach / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013667:Technetium; D013997:Time Factors
D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D013667:Technetium