Relationship of Recurrent Abdominal Pain Syndrome and Gastric Emptying Time

Yang, Eui Jun; Park, Jae Hong; Kim, In Ju

Abstract

PURPOSE: Recurrent abdominal pain syndrome (RAPS) is not uncommon in school-aged children, but the etiology and pathogenesis are not understood well. But recent studies suggest that motility disorder makes up a majority of the pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate gastric emptying time (GET) which is a method to evaluate gastrointestinal motility in patients with recurrent abdominal pain syndrome.
METHODS
Radionuclide GET was investigated in 34 patients who visited the Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Hospital due to recurrent abdominal pain from January 1996 to June 1997. After 8 hours of fasting, the patient received two pieces of toast and a fried egg tagged with 2 mci of 99mTc albumin colloid and sequential counting was accomplished. We calculated the geometric mean of two counts measured from AP-PA scans and investigated 60 minutes of intragastric radionuclide retention rate.
RESULTS
A total of 34 patients (12 boys, 22 girls, M : F=1 : 1.8) participated in this study. The age ranged from 5 to 12 years and the mean age was 8.8 years. Associated symptoms were headache (7 patients), nausea (7 patients), constipation (2 patients), vomiting (1 patient), and diarrhea (1 patient). Anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG Ab was positive in 4 cases. Endoscopic gastritis was found in 6 cases. The mean of 60 minutes of intragastric radionuclide retention rate was 72 +/- 17% and 27 cases (79%) were delayed significantly.
CONCLUSION
The results of our study suggest that delayed gastric emptying time is a cause of abdominal pain in patients with recurrent abdominal pain syndrome.