The Significance of Measurement of the Antral Distensibility by Ultrasonographyin Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain

Park, Jae Hong; Lee, Ju Eun; Lee, Jun Woo

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The etiology and pathogenesis of recurrent abdominal pain are poorly understood but disordered motility of the gastrointestinal tract has been implicated. The aim of this study was to investigate the antral distensibility which is one of diagnostic tools evaluating gastrointestinal mo tility in dyspeptic patients.
METHODS
Total 12 patients and 5 normal controls were enrolled in thi study. For 19 months, the antral distensibility was evaluated by ultrasonography after an overnigh fast of at least 8 hours and postprandial 30 minutes. Additionally, we investigated the organic lesion in upper gastrointestinal tract by endoscopy, the status of Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric emptying time by radioisotope scanning for preliminary study.
RESULTS
Associated symptoms were nausea, vomiting, constipation and headache. Endoscopic findings showed gastritis in 3 patients, duodenitis in 1 patient and esophagitis in 1 patient. H. pylori IgG Ab was positive in 4 patients. In all patients except 2 cases, radionuclide gastric emptying was significantly delayed (p<0.05). The antral distensibility was significantly increased in patients than in controls (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The fact that the postprandial antral distensibility was frequently observed in patients group suggests that this motility pattern could play an important role in the genesis of dyspeptic symptoms.