[Diabetes mellitus and the digestive tract].

The author discusses in the submitted paper the important subject of manifestations of diabetes in the digestive tract--oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestine. Autonomous neuropathy, in particular a reduced tonus of the vagus, leads to a number of functional disorders which can produce diabetic dysphagia, gastroparesis, diarrhoea and constipation. The reduced tonus of the vagus, along with other factors, may lead to atrophy of the gastric mucosa and reduced gastric secretion. This explains the higher incidence of atrophic gastritis and other complications in diabetic patients. The author discusses also basic clinical aspects of these disorders and outlines therapeutic procedures.