[Autonomic symptoms in diabetic polyneuropathies]

200 years have gone by since the autonomic disturbance in diabetes mellitus has been described for the first time ever. There is a great deal of information on the close relationship between somatic and visceral symptoms in diabetic polyneuropathy (PNP), so that there should be talked about only of one form of manifestations within the meaning of a distal symmetric somatovisceral PNP. The longer fibres such as the vagal fibres of the viscus, sympathetic fibres of the eye are affected at first and more intensively in the autonomic region same as in the sensory and motor region. Due to the fact that for reasons of fragmentary knowledge pathogenetically substantiated classification of the autonomic disturbances in diabetic PNP is not at hand, such a classification is being made from organotopic and phenomenologic aspects. Frequently, afferent denervation of an organ results in enhancing the effects of an autonomic innervation dysfunction, as for instance in unnoticed hypoglycaemia, in order to modify the symptoms, as for instance in rectal incontinence with unnoticed defecation, or rather to let new symptoms appear, for instance loss of testicular pain. In recent years, appropriate methods of examinations were tested for the clinical routine, permitting to give evidence of autonomic dysfunctions before clinical manifestation. It is still unclear to what extent such subclinical abnormalities are reversible with a more favourable regulation of the metabolic process, for instance with the aid of continuous subcutaneous insulin injections. An impressive symptom of innervation dysfunctions of the cardiovascular system is orthostatic hypertension that may, in exceptional cases, even lead to confinement to bed. The most important pathogenic factor seems to be vascular denervation. A pronounced tachycardia at rest, frequently found in diabetics, is the result of the failure of the vagal autonomic system, and, after additional destruction of the sympathetic fibres, it adjusts itself to a lower level that cannot be changed by reflex mechanisms. Cardialgia absent in the case of myocardial ischemia is a factor of an increased mortality of long-term diabetics. The correlation between vascular denervation and arteriosclerosis or mediasclerosis, respectively, is being under discussion. Denervation on the gastrointestinal tract has an effect on the motility and excretory functions. The innvervation dysfunctions lead to sialadenosis by changing the composition of saliva. In most cases esophageal dysfunction is not perceived by the patient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)