Background and Objectives：Scintigraphic swallowing test is a noninvasive, quantitative and safe measurement of
swallowing. The purposes of this study were to establish a normative data of scintigraphic swallowing test and to determine
that this procedure could be a simple screening test of swallowing disorders. Materials and Methods：Scintigraphic tests of
the oropharyngeal transit with thick liquid bolus were performed in 51 normal subjects, who were 15 to 61 years of age.
Each subject was instructed to swallow the single viscous liquid bolus mixed with 1mCi Tc-99m tin-colloid. Dynamic
imaging data were obtained with the patients in a supine position and recorded at a frame rate of 25 per second over 10
seconds. Inspection of summed images permitted the section of regions of interest (ROI) to represent the mouth, pharynx,
and esophagus. Transit times between each ROI were calculated and compared. Time activity data were used to compute oral
discharge and pharyngeal transit times, oropharyngeal transit time, percentage residues in the mouth and pharynx, oral and
pharyngeal swallowing efficiencies, and oropharyngeal clearance in 2.5 seconds. Twenty subjects repeated the test in two
weeks. Results：Mean±standard deviation of oral discharge time, pharyngeal transit time, oropharyngeal transit time, oral
residue, pharyngeal residue, oral swallowing efficiency, pharyngeal swallowing efficiency, and oropharyngeal clearance in
2.5sec were 0.37±0.11sec, 0.64±0.19 sec, 1.01±0.21 sec, 7.05±3.60%, 6.12±3.80%, 273.58±78.82%/sec, 160.74±
51.11%/sec, and 90.63±6.65% respectively. Repeated studies in 20 individuals indicated that these parameters were
statistically similar and pharyngeal transit time was highly reproducible. Other parameters were intermediately reproducible
except oral and pharyngeal residues. Conclusion：Oropharyngeal scintigraphy provides a rapid, noninvasive and cost
effective screening test as well as a quantitative study of swallowing disorders. (Korean J Otolaryngol 1999;42:1155-9)
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