Dyspeptic symptoms and gastric emptying of solids in patients with functional dyspepsia. Role of Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to investigate the relation between dyspeptic symptoms, gastric emptying of digestible and indigestible solids, and Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with functional dyspepsia.

METHODS

We used isotopic labeling and radiologic techniques to study gastric emptying of a solid meal and of 10 radiopaque indigestible solids in 50 healthy volunteers and 50 patients with functional dyspepsia. In addition, we determined the presence of seven symptoms of dyspepsia and added the score for each symptom to obtain an index of dyspepsia for each patient.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight per cent of our dyspeptic patients had gastroparesis to a solid meal, and 68% to indigestible solids. We found no apparent relation between gastroparesis or H. pylori infection and dyspeptic symptoms separately or as an index of dyspepsia. Moreover, the presence of the bacteria was not related to gastroparesis to a solid meal or to indigestible solids.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that neither symptoms of dyspepsia nor H. pylori appears to be related to gastroparesis to solids. H. pylori infection is not related to dyspeptic symptoms.