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

To assess and compare gastric electrical activity and gastric emptying recorded from dyspeptic and healthy children, cutaneous electrogastrography and ultrasound examination of the gastric emptying were simultaneously performed in 52 children with nonulcer dyspepsia and 114 healthy children. Symptoms were scored from 0 (none) to 6 (severe). A higher percentage of tachygastria, a higher instability of gastric power, and a lower post/preprandial ratio were present in dyspeptic children than healthy children. As regards the ultrasound parameters, the fasting antral area and T1/2 were similar in dyspeptic children and controls. Only 32% of dyspeptic children had a normal gastric emptying time vs 66% of healthy children. Marked postprandial antral dilatation was found in the dyspeptic children, which correlated with the 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 correlates with the severity of the symptoms.