Abstract
Gastric contractions are coordinated by slow waves (SW), an omnipresent oscillating electrical potential, that emanate from the orad stomach and migrate distally at 3 cycles/min (cpm) in man. We wished to determine prevalence of gastric electrical abnormalities in children with NUD, that is characterized by recurrent vomiting, epigastric pain and bloating, early satiety, without structural or focal GI tract lesions. Eleven NUD patients (pts) (mean±SD age: 6.9±3.4 years) underwent cutaneous recording of gastric SW by electrodes (Red Dot 2256, 3M Co) located on the gastric region, for 1 hour before and after feeding a 300 cal mixed solid liquid meal (bread, egg, apple juice). Electrogastrograpny (EGG) signals were recorded on a Reega Minihuit Tr Alvar polygraph (lower and upper cutoff frequencies: 0.16 Hz and 30 Hz respectively) and later digitized on HP3852A and stored on HP Vectra RS80 for spectral analysis.
Results: during fasting, 7 pts (group A) had significant electrical dysrhythmias (≥ 10% of the recording period) such as tachygastria (SW between 4 and 9 cpm, with regular rhythm), tachyarrhythmia (SW between 4 and 9 cpm with irregular rhythm), bradygastria (SW < 3 cpm), or flatline patterns; most dysrhythmic periods were coincident with dyspeptic symptoms such as nausea, epigastric pain and vomiting. In 4 pts (group B) electrical abnormalities were rarely detected, as well as in 5 age matched controls (7.1± 3.7 years). After feeding, only 3 group A pts had marked dysrhythmias. In all group A pts, antro-duodenal manometry, performed by perfused catheter, showed severe motor changes such as fasting and/or fed decreased and/or incoordinated gastrointestinal motility; no disturbed motility was recorded in group B pts. Furthermore, gastric emptying time (min.) (mean±SD), measured by ultrasonography after eating the same meal administered during EGG, was much more delayed in group A pts (187±45.3; range: 130-250) than in B group pts (100±13; range: 85-116). He conclude that gastric electrical abnormalities are found in a substantial proportion of children with non-ulcer dyspepsia. Our preliminary results support the hypotesis that gastric dysrhythmias can be the electrical counterpart of gastroduodenal motor abnormalities frequently detected in patients with NUD.
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Cucchiara, S., Riezzo, G., Pezzolla, F. et al. STUDY OF THE ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF THE STOMACH IN CHILDREN WITH NON—ULCER DYSPEPSIA (NUD). Pediatr Res 27, 535 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199005000-00057
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199005000-00057
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