[Gastric emptying in children with gastroesophageal reflux. Evaluation by real time ultrasonography of the pyloric antrum].

OBJECTIVE

We have studied gastric emptying using real time ultrasound in 25 healthy children and 25 children with RGE. Our aim was to establish the time and mode of gastric emptying and the volume and the degree of antral dilation in both groups at baseline and after a test meal. We also evaluated the same parameters in the RGE cases after supplying a prokinetic.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

The Bolondi technique was used to measure the basal antrum volume and emptying ratio, as well as the mode and final gastric emptying time at different time-points after a solid-liquid test meal.

RESULTS

Patients with RGE have a clearly longer gastric emptying time with respect to the healthy subjects in both children less than one year of age (238 +/- 48.4 vs 176.3 +/- 36.7 minute; p = 0.03) and those 1-14 years old (206.3 +/- 48.2 vs 163.3 +/- 48.1 minutes, p = 0.03). An anomalous gastric emptying, similar to a broken line, can be observed in children suffering from RGE. In contrast, a progressive reduction of antrum dilation ration was seen in healthy children and not in patients with RGE. After cisapride, gastric volume goes down at all test times in RGE children. Therefore, a decrease in final gastric emptying time cannot be observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Children suffering from RGE show an alteration in gastric emptying with a clearly greater time and an anomalous mode of emptying. The antrum remained dilated for longer periods after ingestion of test food.