[Liver diseases in diabetes mellitus]

In a number of 3,554 clinically manifest diabetics who were admitted for the treatment of metabolism or other diseases from 1967 to 1974 12.1 per cent of hepatopathies were found. In men the incidence was 15.2 per cent, in women 10.7 per cent. Among these the fatty degeneration of the liver (28.8 per cent) and the cirrhosis (17.4 per cent) were most frequent. Referred to the entirety the result was an incidence of cirrhosis of 2.1 per cent. The confirmation of the diagnosis is performed by biopsy and endoscopy in 92 per cent. In 60 per cent of the examined persons the diagnosis was unknown before admission. There was no correlation to the duration of the diabetes. In the number of patients there appeared above all persons older than 50 to 60 years. The following concomitant diseases occurred: hypertension (33 per cent), coronary diseases (32 per cent), pyelonephritis (17 per cent) and adiposity (13 per cent).