Spectrum of Cutaneous Manifestations of Diabetes Mellitus: An Observational Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Diabetes leads to destruction all over the body and the skin is not exempted from the attack. The skin shares both the effects of acute gross metabolic derangement and chronic degenerative changes of diabetes, as it are an actively metabolizing tissue.Aims and objectives: To study the clinical patterns of dermatological manifestations of diabetes mellitus in the region of eastern India.Methods: Sixty consecutive subjects with diabetes mellitus having dermatological manifestations and satisfying the inclusion criteria were included in this study.Results: Bacterial infections were the commonest dermatological disorder (46.7%). Different forms of dermatophyte infections and candidiasis were found in 30% and 23.3% subjects, respectively. Diabetic dermopathy or ‘shin spot’ and diabetic foot with gangrenous changes were found in 20% and 13.3% subjects, respectively. Skin manifestations associated with diabetes were the second most common skin disorders and constituted 43.3% (26 out of 60 cases). Pruritus of unknown origin and xerosis (13.3%) were the most common cutaneous abnormalities in the group associated with diabetes. Other cutaneous manifestations, namely pigmented purpuric dermatosis (6.6%), psoriasis (3.3%), vitiligo (6.6%), lichen planus (3.3%), porokeartosis (3.3%), sclerosis, diabetic thick skin and contracture (6.6%), lipodystrophy (3.3%), skin rashes (6.6%) and scar with abscess (1.6%), were very rare.Conclusions: Our study has provided some insights into the pattern of dermatological manifestations in diabetes mellitus. A larger prospective study will further consolidate our main objective that management of diabetes is a holistic one and due attention on skin complications is warranted.