Gastroparesis

Diagnosis

Doctors take a full medical history and may perform tests to rule out possible underlying causes for delayed stomach emptying and to get a clearer picture of the stomach's behavior. Tests can include:

• Blood work to rule out diabetes, thyroid problems, scleroderma or lupus.
• Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to rule out ulcers, inflammation, cancer (rare), hernia or other abnormalities. A lighted, flexible tube (endoscope) with a camera on its tip is inserted through the mouth and into the gastrointestinal tract for a visual examination and to take a tissue sample, if necessary. Patients are given a local anesthetic or sedated for the procedure.
• CT scan or small bowel X-ray to rule out a blockage.
• Gastric emptying study (scintigraphy) to assess the motor function of the GI tract. The patient ingests a tiny amount of radioactive material that's then tracked by a special camera to observe stomach contents as they are processed and leave the stomach. Mayo typically performs a longer, four-hour study to get a more complete picture.
• Testing of the autonomic nervous system to rule out neurological disease.
• Gastroduodenal manometry to see if the nerves or muscles are affected. A pressure-sensitive plastic tube is inserted through the mouth and into the stomach to measure digestive contractions.