The Nardi test in sphincter of Oddi dysfunction: Is it still relevant?

Recurrent abdominal pain is one of the common symptoms encountered in daily practice and a pathology affecting the sphincter of Oddi (SO) as a cause, is never thought of at the first instance. Various disease states affecting the SO, mainly its dysfunction (SOD) seem to be important to be kept in mind while treating patients with intractable abdominal pain, especially postcholecystectomy cases. As the clinical syndrome of SOD is poorly defined and incompletely understood, an accurate estimate of the problem cannot be made. The most widely used pharmacologic test to determine SOD is the morphine-prostigmine provocative test of Nardi. In this article we have discussed the relevance of this test in modern day practice.