Gastric motility in patients with schistosomal hepatosplenomegaly and portal hypertension

ABSTRACT

Gastric emptying time was studied radiologically in 40 patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis and 20 normal volunteers. Schistosomal patients with dyspeptic symptoms had a significantly decreased initial gastric emptying time and a prolonged total gastric emptying time compared with that of normal controls. Patients with no dyspeptic symptoms had, however, gastric emptying times not significantly different from that of the control subjects. There was a positive relation between the total gastric emptying time and the duration of dyspeptic symptoms, but not with the degree of splenic enlargement. Schistosomal patients have, thus, an altered gastric motility which is closely related to the presence and the duration of dyspeptic symptoms