Change of Gastric Myoelectrical Activity according to Ascitesin Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

Jang, Jae Young; Ham, Jeong Sik; Choi, Woo Bong; Hong, Su Jin; Moon, Jong Ho; Cho, Young Deok; Kim, Jin Oh; Cho, Joo Young; Kim, Yun Soo; Lee, Joon Seong; Lee, Moon Sung; Shim, Chan Sup

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The pathogenic mechanism of gastrointestinal symptom such as nausea, vomiting, postprandial bloating in cirrhotic patients with ascites were not well documented until now. We evaluated the relationship between the gastric dysrhythmia and the severity of ascites in patients with liver cirrhosis.
METHODS
Electrogastrogram (EGG) was recorded during fasting and fed states in 57 patients diagnosed as liver cirrhosis. Sex, age, symptom score, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, bilirubin, albumin, modified Child classification score and ratio of congestive gastropathy were also evaluated during EGG recording. After EGG recording, the patients were classified according to the amount of ascites by the abdominal ultrasonography.
RESULTS
Symptom score and ratio of congestive gastropathy were significantly higher in ascites group than in non-ascites group (p<0.05). Postprandial normal slow wave was decreased but postprandial tachygastria was increased significantly in ascites group (p<0.05). In comparing large volume-ascites group with non-ascites group, postprandial bradygastria was increased significantly in large volume-ascites group(p<0.05). On the other hand, postprandial normal slow wave and dysrhythmia did not differ significantly according to the amount of ascites.
CONCLUSIONS
The fed gastric dysrhythmia was dominant in cirrhotic patients with ascites. We suggest that gastric electrical dysrhythmia is a potential component in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal symptoms in liver cirrhotic patients with ascites due to delaying gastric emptying time.