ABSTRACT

In order to evaluate motility disorders, in patients who have gastrointestinal symtoms, there are so many diagnostic procedures such as endoscopy, barium radiography, manometric measurements, pH monitoring, breath tests, electromyelographic studies, radiography with opac granules and wireless capsules. All of these diagnostic tests may alter normal physiology of the patients and some of them my cause patient discomfort. Radionuclide transit time studies have no effect on patient physiology. After giving orally small amount of radioactivity in solid or liquid form, it is possible to get objective and quantitative results without changing patient physiology. In this context, nuclear medicine procedures related to gastrointestinal motility are noninvasive, quantitative and physiologic. There are different neurohumoral factors interacting gastrointestinal motility and the motility has own complexity. Some conditions related to patient, modifications in test protocols, technical details related to gamma camera and used computer software may cause conflicting test results. Although, there are some efforts to reach a consensus and standardisation of the tests, it is advised that every nuclear medicine laboratory may find out their own normal limits. In this manuscript, radionuclide motility studies of esophagus transit time, gastroesophageal reflux studies,gastric emptying studies, small bowel and colonic transit time studies are briefly summerised.