Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms without demonstrable lesions in the upper gastrointestinal tract are common in diabetic patients. Scintigraphic liquid- and solid-phase gastric emptying studies and gastric emptying of indigestible particles were performed to determine the gastric emptying function in type-II diabetes mellitus patients with dyspepsia.
Methods: Twenty type-II diabetic patients with symptoms suggestive of delayed gastric emptying were included. A gelatin capsule containing 10 rod-shaped radiopaque markers was ingested, along with the solid-phase test meal, to assess the emptying of indigestible particles. Scintigraphic liquid-phase gastric emptying studies were performed on a separate day.
Results: There were 7 patients (35%) with delayed liquid-phase gastric emptying, 14 patients (70%) with delayed solid-phase gastric emptying, and 14 patients (70%) with abnormal gastric emptying of indigestible particles. There were only three patients (15%) with normal gastric emptying of both the liquid and solid phase. Furthermore, only one patient showed normal result in all three gastric emptying studies.
Conclusions: For determining abnormalities in gastric emptying function for type-II diabetic dyspepsia patients, comprehensive gastric emptying studies, including scintigraphic liquid- and solid-phase gastric emptying studies and gastric emptying of indigestible particles, are most helpful.