[Validation of an ultrasonographic method of gastric emptying measurement in men]

Our purpose was to validate an ultrasonographic technique based on the assessment of the gastric antrum. Sixteen patients presenting with various functional disorders were studied by ultrasound on two occasions. Ten healthy volunteers were simultaneously studied by scinti- and ultrasonic scans. After an overnight fast, the healthy subjects ingested a 2,000 kJ test meal containing 150 microCi of 111In DTPA in 250 ml orange juice and 3 mCi of 99m Tc sulfur colloid in chicken liver. Using an ultrasound scanner fitted with a 3.5 MHz transducer, the area of the gastric antrum section was always measured in the same plane. Ultrasonographic measurement of gastric emptying rate was feasible in all of the 10 healthy subjects and in 14 of 16 selected patients. The ultrasonographic method was reproducible, and repeated t 1/2 measurements in 14 patients correlated well (95.3 +/- 27.9 vs 99.2 +/- 20.6 min; r = 0.70, P less than 0.001). The t 1/2 measurement was 39.4 +/- 7.7 min with the ultrasonographic method, and correlated well with 36.4 +/- 4.3 min for the t 1/2 measurement of the liquid phase with the scintigraphic method. We conclude that the ultrasonic method was reproducible and could be used for assessment of gastric emptying rate when repeated measurements are necessary, especially in pharmacologic studies.