Diabetic’s skin; a storehouse of infections

Diabetes mellitus is a major endocrine cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. The incidence is increasing globally. Estimated number of patients with diabetes mellitus in 2030 is 366 million. In Pakistan, prevalence approaches 10% among adults and even greater number with glucose intolerance. Patients with diabetes mellitus are prone to have cutaneous infections and major underlying cause is hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis leading to immune dysfunction. These infections can get complicated and even can prove fatal if not noticed earlier or treated properly. It is important to recognize signs and symptoms of these and to either treat them appropriately or refer the patient to a dermatologist or diabetologist. This article is a brief review of clinical features, relative occurrence in diabetes mellitus, and general management of several cutaneous infections which occur more commonly, with greater severity; or with a greater risk for complications in patients with diabetes mellitus