Radionuclide Gastric Emptying Scintigraphy in Patients with Suspected Gastroparesis in Hospital Kuala Lumpur: A Preliminary Experience.

INTRODUCTION:Gastroparesis is a medical condition that can cause significant morbidity. Its prevalence in Malaysia is not known and is often under diagnosed. The gold standard in the assessment of gastroparesis is radionuclide gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES). The aim of this study was to evaluate the added benefit of performing GES in patients with suspected gastroparesis in Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).METHODS:The clinical data and scintigraphic findings of consecutive patients referred to the Department of Nuclear Medicine, HKL for GES from July 2020 to December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.RESULTS:Thirteen patients underwent the study (6 males and 7 females) with a mean age of 47.9 years (age range of 25 to 72 years). The majority of patients (n=11) were diagnosed with either type I or type II diabetes mellitus. Ten patients reported abnormal scan findings with only 3 patients had normal GES findings. Scintigraphic findings from our patients, association of symptoms with abnormal GES as well as the challenges in implementing GES in Malaysia is discussed.CONCLUSION:GES provides valuable information to the referring physician in the diagnosis and management of patients with gastric motility disorders. However, its use is limited because of limited availability, cost restriction, lack of familiarity among clinicians, and lack of understanding of the test. Further effort is thus needed to enhance the availability and usage of GES in Malaysia.