The detection of duodenogastric reflux with a non-invasive method using cholescintigraphy

A non-invasive method to detect duodenogastric reflux is presented. The distribution of a hepatobiliary tracer 99mTc-diethyl-IDA is recorded after an intravenous injection of the substance for one hour. Normally the tracer is excreted through the liver into the biliary tract and into the duodenum, and the further passage proceeds it aborally in the intestine. In duodenogastric reflux, the radioactive tracer enters the stomach where it can be recorded with a gamma camera as a sign of the reflux. The identification of the intragastric tracer is sometimes difficult. A computerized recording with high frequency of frames and rotations of the patient aid in the detection of duodenogastric reflux. A computerized recording also gives a possibility for semiquantitative estimation of regurgitated duodenal fluid. The observed frequencies of duodenogastric reflux were 10 and 13.5 per cent in the two patient groups that were studied.