Cutaneous manifestations of diabetes mellitus

Background Diabetes is a common disease with a variety of skin manifestations encountered by dermatologists, Skin and diabetes may be linked by association (e.g. necrobiosis lipoidica); infections (bacterial, viral or fungal); diabetic complications (e.g. neuropathic ulcers or treatment reactions). The skin manifestations of diabetes affect up to two thirds of patients both type I and II diabetes mellitus. Cutaneous manifestations of diabetes occur because of the microvascular complications of diabetes, impaired wound healing, and other yet undetermined mechanisms. Objective The aim of the present study was to look for major skin findings in patients with diabetes mellitus and to see their clinical correlation. Patients and methods All patients attending the diabetic clinic during a period of one year from July, 2002 to June, 2003 were examined in detail for cutaneous manifestations of the disease. Results 162 patients, 92 females and 70 males, were enrolled. The overall prevalence of cutaneous manifestations was 81.5% (80% in type I and 83.4% in type II diabetics). These manifestations were microvascular (n=73), neurological (n=61), infections (n=46), iatrogenic (n=7) and miscellaneous (n=184). Conclusion Cutaneous manifestations are quite frequent in both types of diabetics. A number of new findings were observed.