title: Cataracts as the initial manifestation of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: A 13-year-old girl presented with the gradual onset of bilateral visual changes. She was initially diagnosed with idiopathic cataracts, but a medical evaluation revealed new-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus with ketosis. The patient was hospitalized and started on a regimen of insulin before discharge and eventual surgical correction of her cataracts. Cataracts are an uncommon initial manifestation of new-onset type 1 diabetes, occasionally in the absence of other more classic symptoms of diabetes. Pediatric patients presenting with bilateral cataracts should be evaluated for a underlying etiology of their cataracts before being referred for surgical correction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA. uspalng@email.chop.edu
authors.forename: Neil G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Uspal
authors.forename: Emily S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Schapiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002386:Cataract / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin