Measurement of gastric emptying using the scintillation camera and129Cs

Abstract

A simple technique is presented for directly measuring gastric emptying using an Anger scintillation camera in conjunction with readily available nucleonic equipment. Cyclotron-produced ¹²⁹Cs is the radioisotopic marker which is mixed with the patient's meal. It has a 32·1 hour half-life and principally emits 370 and 410 keV photons, which provide a half-value thickness in tissue of 9·3 cm. The ¹²⁹Cs is bound to insoluble zirconium phosphate to prevent absorption from the stomach. Illustrations of the use of this method are given with normal subjects and patients after vagotomy. The “step like” emptying pattern of the stomach contents is sometimes apparent when this technique is used. The relative merits of the camera and the scanner for this type of study are discussed.