Introduction: It is known that metabolic disorders in diabetes mellitus (DM) lead to changes in the functional activity of all organs and systems, including the hepatobiliary system. Diabetes mellitus is one of the diseases in which the liver is damaged more and more seriously. In this regard, the study of its functional state is of particular interest, since liver damage significantly affects the course of the disease, the level of compensation and the prognosis of the pathology.

Aim: To assess the ultrasound parameters of the liver and biliary system in patients with diabetes mellitus after a course of ursodeoxycholic acid treatment. 

Materials and methods: The study included 78 patients with diabetes mellitus (type 1 diabetes – group I (30 patients), type 2 diabetes – group II (48 patients)). According to the duration of diabetes, patients were divided into three subgroups – a) up to five years; b) 5-10 years; c) more than 10 years. The control group consisted of 23 practically healthy people. The course of treatment was carried out with ursodeoxycholic acid at the rate of 10-12 mg per 1 kg of body per day for 6 months. Ultrasound methods were used.

Results: During treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid, a dynamic change in the volume of the gallbladder was observed. Particularly clear dynamics of the gallbladder volume after treatment was observed in the short-term course of diabetes (subgroups 1a and 2a). With a long course of diabetes mellitus (subgroups 1b, 1c and 2b, 2c), the gallbladder volume remained 1.3 times higher in patients with type 1 diabetes and 1.75 times higher in patients with type 2 diabetes after treatment. It was also found that during treatment in patients with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, normalization of echogenicity (p<0.05) and echostructure (p<0.01) of the liver, a decrease in the right and left lobes of the organ (p<0.05), preservation of the vascular pattern (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Thus, a six-month treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid in patients with diabetes mellitus indicates a positive therapeutic effect of the studied drug on the liver and biliary system.