Gall-bladder Dysfunction in Diabetes Mellitus: The Diabetic Neurogenic Gall Bladder

Abstract

The size of the gall-bladder X-ray shadow and degree of its visualiza- tion and contraction after a standard fatty meal were determined in two groups of patients: 35 unselected diabetics, 16 of whom had symptoms suggestive of gall-bladder disease, and 10 of whom had neuropathy and retinopathy; and in 45 nondiabetics without symptoms or signs of gall-bladder disease. Large, poorly contracting and often poorly filling gall-bladders were frequent among the diabetics, regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms of gall-bladder disease. These signs were especially frequent in patients with diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy and less frequent in the nondiabetics. The occurrence of a "diabetic neurogenic gall-bladder" syndrome has been postulated. The signs of this syndrome are considered to be: large size, poor contraction and/or poor visualization of the gallbladder, and lack of symptoms of gall-bladder disease.