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. M ethods: We used isotopic labeling and radiologic techniques to study g astric emptying of a solid meal and of 10 radiopaque indigestible soli ds in 50 healthy volunteers and 50 patients with functional dyspepsia. In addition, we determined the presence of seven symptoms of dyspepsi a and added the score for each symptom to obtain an index of dyspepsia for each patient. Results: Seventy-eight per cent of our dyspeptic pa tients had gastroparesis to a solid meal, and 68% to indigestible soli ds. We found no apparent relation between gastroparesis or H. pylori i nfection and dyspeptic symptoms separately or as an index of dyspepsia . Moreover, the presence of the bacteria was not related to gastropare sis to a solid meal or to indigestible solids. Conclusions: We conclud e that neither symptoms of dyspepsia nor H. pylori appears to be relat ed to gastroparesis to solids. H. pylori infection is not related to d yspeptic symptoms.