Effect of portal hypertensive gastropathy on electrogastrographic changes and gastric emptying time

ABSTRACT

Dyspepsia is a frequent symptom in cirrhotic patients. Congestive gastropathy or portal hypertensive gastropathy [PHG] was detected as a possible cause of sustained dyspepsia in 40% of these patients, and prolonged gastric emptying time [GE] with decrease gastric wall compliance were detected in cirrhoric patients. Electrogastrography [EGG] is a non-invasive method to study gastric myoelectrical activity from the body surface by electrodes. whereas, an ultrasonographic method can be used for the estimation of gastric emptying by measuring what so called half emptying and full emptying times with other parameters. Aim of this work is to study patterns of EGG and ultrasnographic GE. In cirrhotic patients with or without PHG. 45 patients were chosen for this study and were divided into 3 groups ; group 1 is cirrhotic patients with PHG negative upper gastrointestinal [U.G.I.T.] endoscopy and group 2 is cirrhotic patients with PHG positive and group 3 is healthy subjects taken as control. We found significant delay in GE in gp. 2 in relation to group 3 [p < 0.05]. EGG reveiled power ratio lower in gp. 1, 2 [2.01 - 1.93] respectively compared to group. 3 [2.63]. Also there was highly significint increase in "Dominant frequency" at rest [DF] in group.1 campared to group. 2 and 3 [p>0.01] where mean of group 1 was 2944.9, in group 2 was 2477 and in group 3 was 1934 and the power meal at DF was higher in group 1 than 2 , 3 but siatistically insignificant where the mean in group 1 was 5922.5 and in group. 2 was 4804.8 and was 5087.8 in group 3 [p>0.05]. Delayed gastric emptying by U.S, and changes in EGG records of cirrohotic patients especially in presence of portal hypertensive gastropathy may explain dyspepsia frequently occurring with portal hypertensive gastropathy