[Gastric motility disturbances in pancreatic cancer patients]

Eighteen patients with confirmed pancreatic carcinoma without endoscopic evidence of mechanical gastroduodenal obstruction were included in the study. Aim was to determine changes in gastric myoelectric activity and liquid emptying (LGE) induced by pancreatic tumor growth. According TNM/UICC classification patients were divided in two groups A (T2) and B (T3) due to extend of expansion. Dyspeptic symptoms were observed in 4 patients of group A and 8 in group B. In group A dysrhythmic patterns of gastric myoelectric activity mostly bradygastria type were observed in 5 of patients and 8 in group B. LGE were delayed in 2 in group A and 5 in group B respectively. Disordered gastric myoelectric activity and emptying correlated with tumor stage and location. Delayed gastric emptying may be attributed to gastric dysrhythmia and abdominal pain that occur during the course of disease due to splamchnic plex infiltration.