Diabetes mellitus and upper gut motility

The aim of the study is to detect the presence of esophageal motor disorders in type I and II diabetic patients, and to establish whether there is any difference between patients with and without neuropathy. 118 diabetics patients (34 type I and 84 type II) were investigated by water-perfused stationary esophageal manometry. Data were correlated with the presence of peripheral neurophaty. As a result 71% of patients affected by peripheral neuropathy showed manometric abnormalities against the 37% of the patients without neuropathy. Our experience has shown that patients with diabetes mellitus frequently present esophageal symptoms and manometric abnormalities. Manometric study of the esophagus has to be considered a useful investigative tool to manage and monitorize the gastrointestinal abnormalities in patients affected by diabetes mellitus.