TY - JOUR T1 - Standardization and Quantification of Radionuclide Solid Gastric-Emptying Studies JF - Journal of Nuclear Medicine JO - J Nucl Med SP - 760 LP - 764 VL - 45 IS - 5 AU - Harvey A. Ziessman AU - Frederic H. Fahey AU - Frank B. Atkins AU - Jonathan Tall Y1 - 2004/05/01 UR - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/45/5/760.abstract N2 - The purposes of this investigation were to standardize and validate a simple quantitative method for performing radionuclide solid gastric emptying that can be used for any dual-head γ-camera and to establish reference values. Methods: After eating a solid meal (egg sandwich) labeled with a radionuclide, 20 healthy volunteers (9 male, 11 female) underwent a 90-min gastric-emptying study performed with a triple-head γ-camera. Two sets of 3 simultaneous projections were acquired sequentially for 30 s each: anterior, right posterior oblique (RPO), left posterior oblique (LPO), posterior, left anterior oblique (LAO), and right anterior oblique (RAO), and this sequence was repeated continuously for 90 min. Time–activity curves were generated using a gastric region of interest for each of the views as well as the conjugate-view geometric mean (GM) data for the anterior/posterior, LAO/RPO, and RAO/LPO combinations. Quantitative parameters were determined: percentage gastric emptying (%GE) at 90 min, half-time (min) based on an exponential fit, and clearance rate (%/min) based on a linear fit. Reference values were determined on the basis of a 95% confidence interval of the t distribution. The results were statistically analyzed and compared. Results: The %GE reference values were greater for the anterior/posterior GM (≥33%) than for the LAO (≥31%) and anterior (≥30%) GMs. The 3 %GE GM methods, the 3 exponential-fit GM methods, and the 3 linear-fit GM methods had high correlation coefficients (r ≥ 0.874), and with only a single exception, there was no statistical difference among them. The LAO method and LAO/RPO GM mean method correlated strongly (r = 0.900) and had similar mean values (52% vs. 51%) and reference values (29% vs. 30%). All 3 methods of GM quantification also correlated strongly, and there was no significant difference among them. Conclusion: We have described and validated a simple method for radionuclide solid gastric emptying that can be used with a dual-head γ-camera. We recommend the anterior/posterior GM method and have established reference values (≥33%). ER -