Quantitation of duodenogastric reflux and antral motility by color Doppler ultrasonography. Study in healthy volunteers and patients with gastric ulcer.

BACKGROUND

Our objective was to develop a simple, noninvasive method for evaluating duodenogastric reflux, along with antral motility and gastric emptying of a liquid meal.

METHODS

Antral motility and gastric emptying were measured by ordinary ultrasonography after a meal of 400 ml consommé. Duodenogastric reflux was evaluated by means of color Doppler. In a preliminary in vitro study we demonstrated that the test meal (consommé) contained oil particles suitable as a marker for color Doppler. We then investigated duodenogastric reflux, antral motility, and gastric emptying of a liquid meal in 43 asymptomatic healthy volunteers and in 24 patients with gastric ulcer.

RESULTS

This approach was feasible in 65 (97.0%) of the 67 subjects studied. Duodenogastric reflux was demonstrated in 26 (61.9%) of the 42 healthy volunteers and in 20 (87.0%) of the 23 patients with gastric ulcer. The frequency of the duodenogastric reflux and the reflux index were significantly increased in patients with gastric ulcer as compared with asymptomatic healthy volunteers. Gastric emptying and the motility index of antral contractions were significantly decreased in patients with gastric ulcer as compared with asymptomatic healthy volunteers.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasonography with color Doppler is useful for evaluating abnormalities of gastroduodenal motility and can be used to understand the pathogenesis of such disorders.