Development of a Protocol for Dynamic Gastric Emptying Scintigraphy

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Gastric emptying (GE) scintigraphy is a valuable noninvasive tool for evaluating gastric accommodation and emptying.
• Dynamic acquisition in GE scintigraphy allows for continuous imaging over time, enabling detailed functional assessment.
• Quantitative evaluation of residual gastric motility is crucial in post-gastrectomy patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a protocol for dynamic GE scintigraphy.
• To quantitatively assess residual gastric motility function in post-gastrectomy patients using dynamic imaging.

Main Methods:

• Preliminary analysis of four healthy volunteers to optimize examination protocols (acquisition direction, timing, duration).
• Clinical analysis of 14 post-gastrectomy patients using the established dynamic GE scintigraphy protocol.
• Calculation of key indices: T_peak, T_1/2, lag phase, and gastric peristaltic frequency.

Main Results:

• Established parameters for dynamic GE scintigraphy protocol development.
• Calculated T_peak (7.9±3.8 min), T_1/2 (52.3±19.2 min), and lag phase (4.5±2.5 min).
• Gastric peristaltic frequency showed consistency across major and minor axes without significant differences.

Conclusions:

• A novel dynamic GE scintigraphy protocol has been successfully established.
• This protocol enables quantitative assessment of residual gastric motility in post-gastrectomy patients.
• The method offers a new approach for evaluating gastric function after gastrectomy.