title: Utility of whole gut transit scintigraphy in patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To review our experience of doing whole gut transit scintigraphy in patients presenting with functional gastrointestinal problems and to determine its clinical usefulness.
  
  
  METHODS
  All whole gut transit studies using a liquid meal over a 5-year-period were reviewed and clinical outcome assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five patients (44 women; mean age 43 years) underwent whole gut transit scintigraphy using indium-111 diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid in water. The main symptoms were constipation (49%), dyspepsia (25%) and diarrhoea (25%). Colonic transit was delayed in 63% of patients with constipation, which was significantly (P=0.005) higher than that in patients with dyspepsia. Delayed colonic transit was also seen in 43% of patients with diarrhoea. Only 26% of patients with constipation had a delay in liquid gastric emptying and small bowel transit. Gastric emptying, small bowel transit and colonic transit were normal in 43, 79 and 29% of patients with dyspepsia, respectively. There was no statically significant difference in gastric emptying and small bowel transit between patients with constipation, diarrhoea and dyspepsia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liquid-phase whole gut transit scintigraphy seems to be a useful investigation in patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. Rational use of this modality may help the clinician change the management or better characterize the underlying problem/diagnosis in the majority of patients with functional symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Kottekkattu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Balan
authors.forename: Lankanatha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alwis
authors.forename: Luke Ienari
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Sonoda
authors.forename: Davina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pawaroo
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Parry-Jones
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Middleton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies