All issues > Volume 41(11); 1998

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1998;41(11):1538-1548. Published online November 15, 1998.

Relationship of Recurrent Abdominal Pain Syndrome and Gastric Emptying Time

Eui Jun EJ Yang¹, Jae Hong JH Park¹, In Ju IJ Kim²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea
²Department of Nuclear, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea

Correspondence Eui Jun EJ Yang ,Email: 1

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¡¾17% 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.

Keywords :Gastric emptying time, Recurrent abdominal pain syndrome