title: Relationship between skin diseases and extracutaneous complications of diabetes mellitus: clinical analysis of 750 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between skin diseases and extracutaneous complications in diabetes mellitus (DM) is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the relationship between skin disorders and diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy in patients with DM.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 750 patients with DM were prospectively enrolled. Demographic and clinical features, skin disorders, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, and presence of nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy were noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the patients, 38.0% had neuropathy, 23.3% had nephropathy, and 22.9% had retinopathy. Any skin disorder was present in 79.2% (n = 594) of patients. The most common skin manifestations were cutaneous infections (47.5%), xerosis (26.4%), and inflammatory skin diseases (20.7%). The frequency of cutaneous infections, fungal infections, diabetic foot, rubeosis faciei, and pigmented purpuric dermatitis was higher in patients with nephropathy than in those without nephropathy. Cutaneous infections, diabetic foot, rubeosis faciei, and diabetic dermopathy were more common in patients with neuropathy. Fungal infections, diabetic foot, rubeosis faciei, diabetic dermopathy, and pigmented purpuric dermatitis were more frequent in patients with retinopathy. Patients with HbA1c ≥8 mmol/mL had more skin disorders than those with HbA1c <8 mmol/mL (P < 0.05 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Skin disorders may be clues to the presence of associated microvascular complications of DM.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Clinic, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Bilkent way, 3. Street, Ankara, 06800, Turkey, ddemirseren@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Duriye Deniz
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Demirseren
authors.forename: Selma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Emre
authors.forename: Gulsen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akoglu
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arpacı
authors.forename: Aysegul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arman
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metin
authors.forename: Bekir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cakır
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin