Zwischen Skylla und Charybdis: Wie unterscheiden sich Gastroparese und funktionelle Dyspepsie?
摘要
A diagnosis of gastroparesis is made when there is evidence of a clinically manifest delay in gastric emptying, without any mechanical obstruction of the stomach. The term functional dyspepsia (FD, also known as irritable stomach) encompasses a range of abdominal symptoms without any clear motility disorder of the stomach. It is not clinically possible to distinguish FD from gastroparesis, as the symptoms of both conditions are very similar. However, in terms of treatment and prognosis, they represent distinct clinical pictures. Endoscopy is essential for the diagnosis of gastroparesis to rule out a stenotic cause of the symptoms. Gastroscopy is used in particular to rule out mechanical stenosis of the gastric outlet. The diagnosis is confirmed by objectifying gastric hypomotility, usually via gastric emptying scintigraphy. FD serves as a diagnostic tool for exclusion. Once the diagnosis has been made, the condition should be critically reviewed over time and, if necessary, further diagnostic tests carried out, particularly in the absence of a response to treatment. The therapeutic success of the chosen treatment should be objectively assessed through regular Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI) measurements. Treatment for both conditions is escalated in a stepwise fashion, depending on the severity of symptoms and the patient’s response to previous treatments. Managing patients with these conditions can sometimes be challenging in everyday clinical practice. This is particularly true of gastroparesis, as few drugs with long-term efficacy and few side effects have been approved to date.