The Evaluation of Solid Phase Gastric Emptying in Patients with Behcet's Disease

Aim: Behcet's disease is a multisystemic disease that includes the mucocutaneous, ocular, cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary, joint and central nervous system involvement. Gastrointestinal system involvement is rare in Behcet's disease. Current study was planned to investigate the rate of gastric emptying in patients with Behcet's disease by using gastric emptying scintigraphy. Material and Method: In order to determine gastric emptying rate of solids, 14 patients with Behcet's disease and 14 healthy controls were studied scintigraphically. After an overnight fast, all subjects ingested a Tc-99m DTPA labeled solid meal consisted of an egg and toasted white bread. Immediately after ingestion of the meal, subjects were positioned supine under the gamma camera and serial images were recorded continuously for 90 minutes. Half empyting time (t 1/2) and percentage of radioactive material remaining in the stomach at 60 min. were calculated. Results: The mean ages of Behcet's patients was 41.00 +/- 10.25 years and 40.57 +/- 10.05 years in control group. T 1/2 of Behcet's patients was found 85 +/- 61 min. and 63 +/- 22 min. in control cases (p=0.122). Percentage of radioactive material remaining in the stomach at 60 min. was 69.3 +/- 14.0 % and 54.6 +/- 22.0 % in Behcet's patients and controls, respectively (p=0.035). Discussion: Although there was not a significant difference between half gastric emptying times, we determined that percentage of radioactive material remaining in the stomach at 60 min. was significantly greater in Behcet's patients than that in controls. As a result, gastric stasis could be seen in Behcet's patients due to multisystemic involvement.