Gastrointestinal transit scintigraphy in chronic constipation evaluation in paediatric age; an infrequent test

Abstract

AimChronic constipation is a common pathology in children. The aim of this paper was to show the usefulness of gastrointestinal transit scintigraphy in paediatric patients with chronic constipation, and the advantages with respect to other imaging techniques, despite our limited experience. Materials and methodsWe evaluated 5 patients sent to our service with a diagnosis of chronic constipation refractory to treatment. We performed a complete study protocol, including liquid gastric emptying scintigraphy and small and large bowel transit times, using a single dose of 111In-DTPA. Following international guidelines regions of interest were defined in stomach, terminal ileum and in 6 regions of the large intestine. ResultsAll patients showed altered scintigraphy study, showing 4 of them normal radiological tests. Radioisotopic study changed diagnosis in 2 patients and in other 2 patients contributed to clarify it, since discordance between normal radiological tests and abnormal rectal biopsy. One of the patients showed concordance between each imaging modality. The results of the test changed the therapeutic management in 2 cases. ConclusionsOur limited experience coincides with published data in which scintigraphy study turns out to be a reproducible and accurate method. It provides physiological, quantitative and useful information in the study of constipation, being the unique exploration that allows both global and regional gastrointestinal transit time determination.