title: Scintigraphic assessment of colostomy irrigation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate colonic transport following colostomy irrigation with a new scintigraphic technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To label the bowel contents 19 patients (11 uncomplicated colostomy irrigation, 8 complicated colostomy irrigation) took 111In-labelled polystyrene pellets one and two days before investigation. 99mTc-DTPA was mixed with the irrigation fluid to assess its extent within the bowel. Scintigraphy was performed before and after a standardized washout procedure. The colon was divided into three segments 1: the caecum andascending colon; 2: the transverse colon; 3: the descending and sigmoid colon. Assuming ordered evacuation of the colon, the contribution of each colonic segment to the total evacuation was expressed as a percentage of the original segmental counts. These were added to reach a total defaecation score (range: 0-300). RESULTS: In uncomplicated colostomy irrigation, the median defaecation score was 235 (range: 145-289) corresponding to complete evacuation of the descending and transverse colon and 35% evacuation of the caecum/ascending colon. In complicated colostomy irrigation it was possible to distinguish specific emptying patterns. The retained irrigation fluid reached the caecum in all but one patient. CONCLUSION: Scintigraphy can be used to evaluate colonic emptying following colostomy irrigation.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Research Unit, Department of Surgery L, Section AAS, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Section AKH, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: P.
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: N.
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: K.
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krogh
authors.forename: S.
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laurberg