Cutaneous manifestations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and normal controls

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of the study were (1) to study the cutaneous manifestations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in comparison to normal subjects and (2) to document the association between cutaneous manifestations and complications of DM. Materials and Methods: In this 1-year comparative cross-sectional study, 100 patients receiving treatment at the diabetic clinic of a tertiary center were evaluated for cutaneous manifestations and complications due to diabetes. The cutaneous features in diabetics were compared with that of normal controls. An attempt was made to find out any association between cutaneous features of DM and internal organ involvement due to diabetes. Results: Cutaneous manifestations were more frequent in patients with type 2 DM than normal controls. The most common manifestation in diabetics was fungal infection followed by bacterial infection. Diabetic dermopathy was found to have statistically significant association with nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy due to type 2 DM. Limitations: Limited sample size and study confined to a tertiary referral center. Conclusions: Dermatology manifestations provide important clues of prognostic significance in type 2 DM.