Delayed gastric emptying, also called gastroparesis, is a condition in which the muscles of the stomach do not contract effectively, causing food to remain in the stomach longer than normal. While nuclear medicine gastric emptying studies are the traditional diagnostic test, ultrasound can assess gastric emptying in real time by measuring the cross-sectional area of the gastric antrum before and after a meal and tracking how quickly the stomach contents decrease over time. This ultrasound-based approach is particularly useful in pregnant women and children, where radiation exposure should be avoided. In neonates and infants, ultrasound assessment of gastric emptying can help evaluate feeding difficulties and formula intolerance.
Sonography Term