Relationship between gastrointestinal and extra-gastrointestinal symptoms and delayed gastric emptying in functional dyspeptic patients.
OBJECTIVE
Delayed gastric emptying and an enlarged fasting gastric antrum are common findings in functional dyspepsia but their relationship with gastrointestinal (GI), and the frequently associated extra-GI symptoms remains unclear. This study evaluated the relationship between GI and extra-GI symptoms, fasting antral volume and delayed gastric emptying in functional dyspepsia.


METHODS
In 108 functional dyspeptic patients antral volume and gastric emptying were assessed with ultrasonography (US). Symptoms were assessed with standardized questionnaire. The association of symptoms and fasting antral volume with delayed gastric emptying was estimated with logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
Delayed gastric emptying was detected in 39.8% of the patients. Postprandial drowsiness (AOR 11.25; 95%CI 2.75-45.93), nausea (AOR 3.51; 95%CI 1.19-10.32), fasting antral volume (AOR 1.93; 95%CI 1.22-3.05), were significantly associated with delayed gastric emptying. Symptoms, mainly the extra-GI ones as postprandial drowsiness and nausea, combined with fasting antral volume predicted the modality of gastric emptying with a sensitivity and specificity of 78%.


CONCLUSIONS
In functional dyspeptic patients, (1) an analysis of fasting antral volume and of symptoms can offer valuable indication on the modality of gastric emptying, and (2) it seems appropriate to inquire on postprandial drowsiness that showed the best correlation with delayed gastric emptying.
Pallotta
N
N
Dpt di Scienze Cliniche, Universito La Sapienza, Policlinico Umberto I, V.le del Policlinico, Rome 00161, Italy.
Pezzotti
P
P
Calabrese
E
E
Baccini
F
F
Corazziari
E
E
D000328:Adult; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004435:Eating; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*