BACKGROUND
In patients with diabetes mellitus, dysrhythmias of gastric myoelectrical activity are frequently associated with gastroparesis. Thus, we investigated the relationships between abnormal gastric myoelectrical activity and gastric emptying rate in patients with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Using surface electrogastrography (Nippro, Tokyo, Japan) and acetaminophen absorption technique, we studied EGG and gastric emptying rate in 39 patients with diabetic neuropathy and 15 healthy volunteers as the control group. RESULTS: In two thirds of the patients with diabetes mellitus, fasting electrogastrography revealed instability of electrical control activity (ECA), as compared to 13% of the control. Postprandial amplitude and frequency increases in electrogastrography were observed in the control group. However, these postprandial responses were obtunded in patients with diabetes mellitus. In the assessment of gastric emptying rate, increases of plasma acetaminophen levels were delayed in obtunded postprandial responses of gastric myoelectrical activity. CONCLUSION: These results showed that the abnormal electrogastrography patterns were related to abnormal finding assessed acetaminophen absorption technique. Electrogastrography was thought to be a useful and non-invasive technique in assessing diabetic gastroparesis.