Gastrointestinal transit times of radiolabeled meal in progressive systemic sclerosis

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Abstract
Gastrointestinal transit times were measured in 12 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. The CREST syndrome (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and teleangiectasia) was found in all patients. None of the patients reported complaints referable to specific gastric, small intestinal, or colonic involvement. The patient group had an increased mean gastric emptying time of99mTc-labeled cellulose fiber when compared with 16 healthy controls {1.17 (0.89–1.38) hr [median (range)] vs 0.84 (0.56–1.88) hr; P111In-labeled plastic particles was unaffected [1.86 (0.99–2.74) hr vs 1.50 (0.92–2.51) hr; NS]. No difference was observed in mean small intestinal transit time of cellulose fiber [4.33 (0.50–7.04) hr vs 3.74 (2.09–7.59) hr; NS] or plastic particles [4.21 (2.00–6.25) hr vs 3.53 (1.50–6.70) hr; NS] between patients and controls. The patient group had an increased mean colonic transit time of plastic particles [47 (24–116) hr vs 29 (18–46) hr; P<0.01]. These findings suggest that asymptomatic delay in gastric emptying and colonic transit is frequent in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis.