Gastric emptying patterns in Kaposi's sarcoma and gastroenteritis secondary to human immunodeficiency virus infection

The study included 11 patients with AIDS who underwent gastric emptying studies for solid food, endoscopy (esophagogastroduodenoscopy), and gastric biopsy whenever gastritis was diagnosed on endoscopy. All studies were performed within 1 week. The studies were retrospectively reviewed to analyze the changes in gastric emptying secondary to Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) with or without opportunistic infections. Two patients with KS only had rapid gastric emptying (T1/2 6.7 and 45 minutes). Two other patients with KS and opportunistic infections had normal gastric emptying (T1/2 56.7 and 70 minutes), and one patient with KS and opportunistic infections had rapid gastric emptying (T1/2 25.9 minutes). Four patients with gastritis secondary to opportunistic infections and no KS had delayed gastric emptying (T1/2 622, 92, 266.5, and 179.4 minutes). The remaining two patients had endoscopy showing gastritis not proven by biopsy, and both had rapid gastric emptying. One patient had gastric ulcer (T1/2 39 minutes), and the other had chronic active hepatitis and early cirrhosis (T1/2 15 minutes). Esophagitis was present in 6 out of 7 patients who had gastritis. Esophageal candidiasis was confirmed in three patients, and cytomegalovirus was confirmed in one patient. The findings suggest that gastroduodenal KS is associated with fast gastric emptying in patients with AIDS. However, normal gastric emptying study does not reflect normal gastric physiology in patients with AIDS.