Thursday, July 9, 2009

SMALL AND LARGE BOWEL TRANSIT STUDY

This is used for diagnosis of idiopathic constipation.

It is done in two stages:
1. DTPA-saline water is given and images taken until it is seen that tracer has reached the caecum.
Now, before the patient leaves they are given one of the longest-lasting isotopes we have - gallium.

2. Patient goes away but comes back the nexy day, and the next, and the next. If the gallium has still not left the large bowel by then there is something wrong with motility! For example, if it gets stuck in the region of the rectosigmoid region, then this is called "functional rectosigmoid obstruction".


Normal pattern, there is acceptable propagation of activity through colon
without segmental retention of activity during study.

Colonic inertia pattern, there is prominent retention of activity in transverse colon,
Splenic flexure and rectosigmoid region at 48h and 72h.

Functional obstruction pattern, Significant retention of activity seen in the rectosigmoid region.



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