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Malrotation discovered during routine radionuclide gastric emptying study
A Kovanlikaya1, J H Miller, H T Williams
1Division of Nuclear Radiology, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, University of Southern California, 4650 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
Pediatric Radiology
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Radionuclide gastric emptying studies can detect malrotation anomalies in infants with vomiting, even when barium radiography misses them. This finding is crucial for diagnosing surgical emergencies and guiding treatment in infants with failure to thrive.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Surgical Emergencies
Background:
- Recurrent bilious vomiting in infants often necessitates ruling out malrotation and midgut volvulus.
- Barium upper gastrointestinal radiography is the conventional first-line imaging modality.
- Protracted vomiting and failure to thrive may indicate conditions requiring medical management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of radionuclide gastric emptying studies in identifying malrotation anomalies.
- To present cases where radionuclide studies detected malrotation missed by barium radiography.
Main Methods:
- Review of three pediatric cases with recurrent vomiting and failure to thrive.
- Comparison of findings from barium upper gastrointestinal radiography and radionuclide gastric emptying studies.
Main Results:
- Radionuclide gastric emptying studies identified malrotation anomalies in all three presented cases.
- Antecedent barium gastrointestinal radiographic studies failed to detect the malrotation in these patients.
Conclusions:
- Radionuclide gastric emptying studies can be a valuable tool for diagnosing malrotation in infants when initial radiographic studies are inconclusive.
- This imaging modality may improve the detection rate of malrotation anomalies, preventing delays in diagnosis and treatment.
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