Clinical significance of gastroptosis in functional dyspepsia

Koh, Kwang Cheol; Paik, Seung Woon; Rhee, Poong Lyul; Kim, Jae Jun; Rhee, Jong Chul; Choi, Kyoo Wan; Park, Sang Jong; Kim, Young Ho; Choi, Sang Hee; Lee, Soon Jin; Kim, Jee Eun; Son, Hee Jung; Lim, Hyo Keun

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to assess the relationship between functional dyspepsia (FD) and the gastroptosis which was considered as one of the causes of FD by some physicians in Korea and to evaluate the possibility that gastroptosis was directly related to the relatively decreased abdominal fat content.
METHODS
442 subjects taken upper gastrointestinal barium series (UGIS) for routine check-up were interviewed about symptoms of FD by physicians on the basis of Rome criteria. Various parameters of obesity were also collected from 366 subjects. Gastroptosis was diagnosed by radiologists when the gastric angle was located below the Jacobys line.
RESULTS
Gastroptosis was found in 23 (5.2%) of 442 subjects. Relationship between gastroptosis and FD was rejected statistically because 3 (5.8%) of 52 subjects with FD had gastroptosis but 20 (5.1%) of 390 subjects without FD also showed gastroptosis. Various parameters of obesity such as body mass index (20.6+/-2.6, 23.8+/-2.8), % body fat (23.4+/-6.1%, 28.2+/-6.6%), % ideal body weight (97.9+/-12.6%, 112.6+/-14.0%), waist to hip ratio (0.855+/-0.096, 0.900+/-0.070) and weight (53.5+/-8.2 kg, 62.5+/-9.6 kg) in subjects with and without FD showed that the gastroptosis was more frequent in subjects with low values in parameters of obesity. But on multivariate analysis, only body mass index was the independent factor related to gastroptosis. CONCLUSION: Gastroptosis is not a cause of FD but is thought to be a constitutional problem related to low values in parameters of obesity.