Abstract
Background. A 31-year-old woman with an 11-year history of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus was admitted with severe vomiting and ketoacidosis. The patient had been admitted to hospital on 14 occasions in the past 3 years for diabetic ketoacidosis precipitated by intractable vomiting, and she had been diagnosed with gastroparesis 2 years previously.
Investigations. Assessment of the patient's response to standard treatments for diabetic gastroparesis. These approaches involved tight glycemic control that included subcutaneous insulin infusion via a pump, correction of electrolyte disturbances, use of standard antiemetic and promotility agents, somatostatin-analog treatment, intrapyloric injection of botulinum toxin, and insertion of a percutaneous jejunal feeding tube.
Diagnosis. Severe diabetic gastroparesis refractory to standard treatments.
Management. The neurokinin-receptor antagonist aprepitant was started and her vomiting stopped within 24 h. This treatment was successfully continued for 4 months until a gastric electrical stimulation device was inserted, which enabled aprepitant treatment to be withdrawn and the percutaneous jejunostomy feeding tube to be removed. This successful treatment led to a substantial improvement in the patient's quality of life and overall glycemic control.
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Acknowledgements
Written consent for publication was obtained from the patient. The authors thank Dr David Hopkins, Dr Guy Chung-Faye, and Mr Sri Kadirkamanathan for their invaluable help in the patient's management.
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Chong, K., Dhatariya, K. A case of severe, refractory diabetic gastroparesis managed by prolonged use of aprepitant. Nat Rev Endocrinol 5, 285–288 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2009.50
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2009.50
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