Relationship between symptom pattern and gastric electrical dysrhythmia in functional dyspepsia

Abstract

AIM: Previous study showed an increase gastric dysrhythmia in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between symptom pattern and gastric electrical dysrhythmia in FD.

METHODS: The subjects were 10 normal persons (4M, 6F, mean age 36.1), 56 patients (24M, 32F, mean age 37.4). Gastric activity was measured by inserting needle electrodes in gastric wall, the electrogastrographic recording was made for 0.5 h in the fasting state and 0.5 h in the postprandial state.

RESULTS: 56 patients with FD were categorized on the basis of predominant symptoms as: dysmotility like dyspepsia (23), ulcer like dyspepsia (10), gastroesophageal reflux like dyspepsia (5), complex dyspepsia (15) and nonspecific dyspepsia (3). The dysrhythmia was seen in 1 of 10 normal group and 41 of the 56 patients with FD. Among the FD group 16 had arrhythmia, and 14 had tachygastria, and 6 had bradygastria, and 5 had electrical shutdown. Among the 18/23 of dysmotility like dyspepsia had dysrhythmia (arrhythmia = 11, and tachygastria = 2, and bradygastria = 5). The 5/10 of ulcer like dyspepsia had dysrhythmia (arrhythmia = 1, and tachygastria = 3, and electrical shutdown = 1). The 3/5 of gastroesophageal reflux like had tachygastria and 2/5 had electrical shutdown. The 10/15 of complex dyspepsia had dysrhythmia (arrhythmia = 4, and tachygastria = 4, and bradygastria = 1, and electrical shutdown = 1). The 2/3 of nonspecific dyspepsia had tachygastria, and the 1/3 had electrical shutdown.

CONCLUSION: It is concluded that gastric electrical abnormalities are found in a high proportion of patients with FD. Arrhythmia and bradygastria were most found in dysmotility like dyspepsia, tachygastria was most found in ulcer like and gastroesophageal reflux like dyspepsia, they had significant difference.

Key Words: Gastric electrical dysrhythmia, Functional dyspepsia