Diabetes mellitus. I: Routine plain abdominal radiography

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disorder.
• Gastrointestinal complications, including disordered bowel motility and atherosclerosis, are frequent in diabetic patients.
• Pancreatic calcification is a known complication of chronic pancreatitis, often associated with diabetes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of pancreatic calcification in Nigerian diabetic patients.
• To determine the utility of plain abdominal radiography in diagnosing pancreatic calcification in this population.
• To identify risk factors associated with pancreatic calcification in diabetic patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of plain abdominal radiographs from 43 consecutive diabetic patients.
• Assessment of bowel motility and presence of atherosclerosis.
• Evaluation of pancreatic calcification, correlating findings with patient age, diabetes duration, and other comorbidities.

Main Results:

• Disordered bowel motility (76.7%) and atherosclerosis (65%) were common findings.
• Pancreatic calcification was observed in only 7% of patients (3 individuals).
• All patients with pancreatic calcification were over 45 years old and had diabetes for over 7 years; one case was linked to schistosomiasis.

Conclusions:

• Pancreatic calcification is uncommon in Nigerian diabetic patients.
• Plain abdominal radiography for pancreatic calcification should be reserved for diabetic patients over 45 with a disease duration exceeding 7 years.
• Disordered bowel motility and atherosclerosis are prevalent in this cohort, irrespective of diabetes severity.