ENLARGEMENT OF THE LIVER IN DIABETES MELLITUS

Abstract

Medical textbooks are brief in their reference to the enlargement of the liver that is now and then found in cases of diabetes mellitus. Friedrich Umber¹says: "The liver in diabetic patients ordinarily is enlarged when the disease is of long duration. Whether hyperemia, fat infiltration or incipient cirrhosis is the cause often cannot be settled intra vitam." Von Noorden and Isaac²refer to the symptom in the following words: "Doubtless, in many diabetic patients there is a moderate enlargement of the liver. Slight tenderness and increased consistency of the organ is most often demonstrated in these patients." However, von Noorden further states that in 25 per cent of the cases the enlarged liver was accompanied by other signs of circulatory disturbances, and he considers the hard and enlarged liver an accidental complication in diabetes mellitus. Joslin³makes no mention whatever of enlarged liver as a symptom