Abstract
Three cases of diabetic scleredema were studied. All of the patients had severe adult-type diabetes mellitus with obesity. The scleredema was not accompanied by acute infection and did not show any at convalescence.
Our 3 diabetic patients were reviewed in conjunction with 45 cases previously reported. They comprised 25 males, 22 females and the sex was unknown in one. The age of the patients ranged from 37 to 79 years. The duration of the diabetic state ranged from 1 to 34 years. The patients exhibited the following various complications: retinopathy (35%), hypertension (27%), neuropathy (15%), cataract (13%), and hyperlipemia (10%). About 60% of the patients had at least one of these complications.
The metabolic disturbance accompanying a severe diabetic state may have decreased the metabolic rate of acid mucopolysaccharide in the skin and contributed at least in part to the development of scleredema.
