A Case of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Improved by Sumatriptan / 대한소화관운동학회지

ABSTRACT

Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by recurrent, prolonged episodes of severe nausea and vomiting with no apparent cause. The vomiting is self-limited and patients have asymptomatic periods of variable duration between episodes. This affects mainly in infancy and childhood, but some cases in adulthood were rarely reported. Cyclic vomiting syndrome remains poorly understood, but shares some of the same features as abdominal migraine and migraine. It seems to have a relationship of biochemical or neuraphysiological mechanism based on brain-gut interaction and some of hormonal disturbance. We describe the case of a 24-year-old female patient with several years history of recurrent episodes of severe vomiting diagnosed as cyclic vomiting syndrome. The patient was treated by sumatriptan and ceased vomiting dramatically. Gastric emptying time and electtogastrogram at the time of stopped vomiting revealed marked gastroparesis and follow-up test during prophylactic therapy in symptom-free interval was found to be normalized.