Usefulness of radionuclides in evaluation of stomach disorders

Abstract

The use of radionuclides in diagnosis of stomach disorders has been hampered by the structural characteristics, physiology, and location of the stomach. Nevertheless, efforts have been continued in the area of diagnosis of functional and organic disorders of the stomach. Animal experiments have contributed to the understanding of the distribution of radionuclides in the gastric juice and stomach wall, especially in the mucosa. The information gained has been applied clinically to improve visualization techniques, such as gastroscanning and scintigraphy, and to improve the choice of radiopharmaceutical to be used. A short review of scanning methods is given below, and some of our own experience with scanning and scintigraphy is included. Our experience has led us to believe that radionuclide gastric diagnosis is a useful aid to the clinician, and this is good reason to believe that scintigraphy may be applied as a screening technique for diagnosis of carcinoma in areas and age groups of high incidence.