Gastroparesis diabeticorum: a clinical study in sudanese patients

Gastroparesis diabeticorum is a distressing and little mentioned gastrointestinal complication among our diabetic patients. The objective of this study was to confirm the occurrence of this syndrome and to identify its clinical features and impact on glycemic control of diabetes mellitus. The authors set a special clinic in Medani, Sudan, to receive the diabetic patients complaining of chronic [more than two weeks] symptoms related to the upper gastrointestinal tract. The criteria of diagnosis of gastroparesis diabeticorum were: symptoms [nausea, vomiting, epigastric discomfort and feeling of fullness for long periods after meals] in patients with diabetic autonomic neuropathy, and confirmatory findings of gastric stasis in the barium studies. The similar conditions were excluded. Fasting blood glucose was measured to assess the glycemic control of diabetes. Eight patients were identified, of a wide range of age group [27 - 64 years], longstanding diabetes [8 - 26 years] and poor glycemic control [fasting blood glucose > 8 mmol / L in 7 out of 8 patients]. More than one diabetic complication was recorded in each patient. We established the occurrence of gastroparesis diabeticorum as one of the manifestations of diabetic autonomic neuropathy among our patients. It should be thought of as one of the etiological factors of the upper gastroenteropathies, like peptic ulcer and giardiasis, in Sudanese diabetic patients