Post-pancreatitis diabetes mellitus: towards understanding the role of gastrointestinal motility.

Post-pancreatitis diabetes mellitus (PPDM) is a sub-type of diabetes of the exocrine pancreas that develops after acute or chronic inflammation of the pancreas. While pro-inflammatory milieu, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism in PPDM have been investigated, little is known about gastrointestinal function in the post-pancreatitis setting. This article overviews studies on epidemiology and impact of gastroparesis in the setting of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with a view to estimating the possible burden of gastrointestinal dysfunction in PPDM. Further, the usefulness of quantifying gastrointestinal dysmotility is discussed. The gastroparesis cardinal symptom index has emerged as a standardized gastrointestinal dysmotility endpoint and its use in individuals after pancreatitis is justified.