Acute gastric dilatation accompanied by diabetes mellitus

A 72-year-old man with diabetic triopathy was hospitalized with methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus pneumonia. Six hours after the admission, his abdomen was fully expanded. An abdominal X-ray showed gastric dilatatio n, After insertion of a gastric tube to extract gastric air, his abdomen wa s flat and gastric dilatation improved. A positive Schellong test and decre ased coefficient of RR interval in electrocardiogram variation indicated au tonomic neuropathy, which may explain the reason for gastric hypomotility. Acute gastric dilatation in this patient may have occurred due to gastric h ypomotility as a result of diabetic autonomic neuropathy in addition to gas tric motility inhibition resulting from gastric autonomic nerve stimulation by bacterial toxin.