Idiopathic

Idiopathic is the term used when no known cause for the condition can be identified. Although the patient exhibits the signs and symptoms of delayed gastric emptying, assessments do not detect  any serious underlying disease. With approximately 36% of gastroparesis cases being idiopathic, this is one of the most common types. This does not mean that the symptoms are imagined, but just that the cause is not understood.

Cases of gastroparesis that occur following an infection are also considered to be idiopathic. Acute gastroenteritis, Epstein-Barr, Hawaii and Norwalk viruses, and rotavirus have all been associated with the onset of gastroparesis. Individuals who exhibit postviral gastroparesis continue to experience nausea, vomiting, and early satiety long after other symptoms of the virus have passed.