Comparison of gastric electrical activity and gastric emptying in healthy and dyspeptic children

To assess and compare gastric electrical activity and gastric emptying reco rded from dyspeptic and healthy children, cutaneous electrogastrography and ultrasound examination of the gastric emptying were simultaneously perform ed in 52 children with nonulcer dyspepsia and 114 healthy children. Symptom s were scored from 0 (none) to 6 (severe). A higher percentage of tachygast ria, a higher instability of gastric power, and a lower post/preprandial ra tio were present in dyspeptic children than healthy children. As regards th e ultrasound parameters, the fasting antral area and T1/2 were similar in d yspeptic children and controls. Only 32% of dyspeptic children had a normal gastric emptying time vs 66% of healthy children. Marked postprandial antr al dilatation was found in the dyspeptic children, which correlated with th e total symptom score. Electrogastrographic and gastric emptying parameters show specific differences in dyspeptic children with respect to controls, both fasting and after a meal. The postprandial antral distension correlate s with the severity of the symptoms.