Imaging in Gastroparesis: Exploring Innovative Diagnostic Approaches, Symptoms, and Treatment

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Gastroparesis (GP) is a chronic disorder marked by nausea, vomiting, and delayed gastric emptying (GE) without obstruction.
• Its pathophysiology involves vagal dysfunction, impaired accommodation, and motility issues, but remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current diagnostic pathways for gastroparesis.
• To explore the relationship between diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on gastroparesis diagnosis.
• Discussion of established methods like gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES).
• Exploration of novel diagnostic tools such as wireless motility capsule (WMC) and Endoluminal Functional Lumen Imaging Probe (EndoFLIP).

Main Results:

• Gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) is the current standard but shows weak correlation with symptom severity.
• Emerging technologies assess factors beyond GE, including pyloric tone and electrical activity.
• These advanced tools offer potential for precise pathophysiological characterization.

Conclusions:

• Current diagnostic methods for gastroparesis have limitations in correlating with symptoms.
• Novel diagnostic tools show promise in identifying specific pathophysiological mechanisms.
• This can facilitate the development of targeted therapies for improved patient outcomes.