Scintigraphic evaluation of disorders of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.

Gastrointestinal nuclear medicine procedures have progressed from the stage of anatomic imaging alone to their present applications in studying gastrointestinal function and pathophysiology. These tracer techniques have several specific advantages over other procedures. Scintigraphy requires no intubation, has excellent patient acceptance, is quantitative, and delivers lower radiation burdens to the patient than does the contrast radiographic study. Currently, nuclear medicine functional scintigraphy in gastroenterology is being applied clinically in many medical centers throughout the world.