Pharyngeal and oesophageal function in patients with diabetes mellitus and swallowing complaints.

Pharyngeal and oesophageal function were monitored using cine and video techniques in 18 diabetic patients with swallowing complaints. Morphological lesions had been excluded with double-contrast radiography. Abnormal pharyngeal function was present in 14 patients and abnormal oesophageal function in 10 patients. Eight of these patients had both pharyngeal and oesophageal dysfunction. Dysphagia does not seem to be a frequent symptom in diabetic patients but, when present, warrants a detailed analysis of pharyngeal and oesophageal function in order to reveal the underlying cause. We found cine and video techniques to be of value and we recommend them for use in functional analysis in these patients.