GoalsThe role that vitamin B12deficiency plays in upper gastrointestinal motor dysfunction is not clear. The aim of this study was to determine whether B12replacement therapy improves prolonged gastric emptying time in dyspeptic patients withHelicobacter pyloriinfection.Materials and MethodsThe study included 34H. pylori-positive patients who had low serum levels of B12but had no other factors associated with altered gastric motility. Each patient underwent a radionuclide gastric emptying study before and after 3 months of B12replacement therapy. Dyspepsia scores were calculated pretherapy and posttherapy using a semiquantitative scale. A vitamin B12preparation (1,000 &mgr;g/d) was given intramuscularly for the first 10 days and then orally for 80 days.H. pylorieradication therapy was delayed for 3 months until the posttreatment radionuclide study was completed.ResultsThe mean gastric emptying time before B12treatment was significantly longer than that after treatment (230 ± 190 minutes vs. 98 ± 29 minutes, respectively;P< 0.0001). The mean dyspepsia score was also significantly improved by treatment (5.4 ± 1.0 vs. 1.2 ± 1.0, respectively;P< 0.0001).ConclusionVitamin B12deficiency appears to play an important role in the development of gastric dysmotility and its clinical consequences. Replacement therapy will improve gastric emptying in some patients with dyspepsia.