Gastroparesis

Uncommon card · No. 86064

Gastroparesis (gastro- from Ancient Greek γαστήρ – gaster, "stomach"; and -paresis, πάρεσις – "partial paralysis") is a medical disorder of ineffective neuromuscular contractions (peristalsis) of the stomach, resulting in food and liquid remaining in the stomach for a prolonged period. Stomach contents thus exit more slowly into the duodenum of the digestive tract, a medical sign called delayed gastric emptying. The opposite of this, where stomach contents exit quickly into the duodenum, is called dumping syndrome. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, feeling full soon after beginning to eat (early satiety), abdominal bloating, and heartburn. Many or most cases are idiopathic. The most commonly known cause is autonomic neuropathy of the vagus nerve, which innervates the stomach. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus is a frequent cause of this nerve damage, but trauma to the vagus nerve is also possible. Some cases may be considered post-infectious. Diagnosis is via one or more of...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Dong Seok Lee1 and Sang Jin Lee, CC BY 3.0