The results of electromyographic examination of the gastrocnemius muscle in thirty-three diabetics are reported. Pathological electromyographic patterns have been found in almost all individuals of the studied group. The electrical activity of muscle in diabetics differs from that of patients with atherosclerosis obliterans and resembles that of patients suffering from thromboangiitis obliterans. In diabetics and patients with obliterating thromboangiitis we regularly found electromyographic indications of both peripheral nerve and muscle lesion. With obliterating atherosclerosis only indications of peripheral neurogenic disorders were found.
It is concluded that the cause of the different electromyographic symptoms lies in the location of the occlusion at different levels of the arterial bed. The electromyographic changes, especially those pointing to a predominantly myogenic lesion, have been found even in young individuals in whom diabetes had been known only a few months. We believe that our study helps to establish the existence of diabetic angiopathy as a lesion different from the atherosclerosis obliterans.
