Diabetic Gastroparesis

Abstract

Diabetic gastroparesis is a well-recognized delay of gastric emptying without any gastric outlet obstruction in patients with long-standing insulin-requiring diabetes. By most authors this gastric motility disorder has been considered to be a manifestation of autonomic neuropathy in diabetes. The gastric emptying disorder in diabetes mellitus may exist without symptoms, or it may cause postprandial complaints. Changes of normal gastric motility may also significantly affect the blood glucose level and diabetic control. New techniques have been developed during the last few years for the measurement of the gastric emptying patterns, and this opens the door for better understanding of the etiopathogenesis and clinical significance of this condition.