Nuclear medicine: gastric emptying scintigraphy: practice question

A Radiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Radiology · Nuclear medicine: gastric emptying scintigraphy

Sample item

A diabetic patient has early satiety and vomiting of undigested food. Which test quantifies delayed gastric emptying?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Scintigraphy after a radiolabelled solid meal

Scintigraphy using a solid meal labelled with Tc-99m sulphur colloid measures the percentage of the meal remaining in the stomach over a few hours, and is the standard test for gastroparesis. Mechanical obstruction should be excluded first. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy studies the gallbladder and bile flow.

Option by option

  • A. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy

    A HIDA scan evaluates bile flow.

  • B. Plain abdominal film

    A plain film does not measure gastric emptying.

  • C. Scintigraphy after a radiolabelled solid meal (correct)

    Correct. A labelled solid meal quantifies emptying.

  • D. Barium enema

    A barium enema examines the colon.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is C, Scintigraphy after a radiolabelled solid meal. Scintigraphy using a solid meal labelled with Tc-99m sulphur colloid measures the percentage of the meal remaining in the stomach over a few hours, and is the standard test for gastroparesis.

Why is "Hepatobiliary scintigraphy" not the answer?

A HIDA scan evaluates bile flow.

Why is "Plain abdominal film" not the answer?

A plain film does not measure gastric emptying.

Why is "Barium enema" not the answer?

A barium enema examines the colon.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nuclear medicine: gastric emptying scintigraphy in Radiology. Mechanical obstruction should be excluded first. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy studies the gallbladder and bile flow.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Nuclear medicine: gastric emptying scintigraphy?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.