title: Diabetic bullae: a case series and a new model of surgical management.
abstract: Bullosis diabeticorum is considered a rare skin manifestation of diabetes mellitus. Tense blisters appear rapidly, mostly on the feet, the cause of which is unclear, with multiple pathophysiologies hypothesised. This is a retrospective review of 4 diabetic patients who presented over six months with diabetic bullae; the condition may therefore not be as rare as commonly believed. All the patients had early surgical debridement followed by topical negative pressure wound dressings. A multidisciplinary team that included vascular surgeons, diabetologists, diabetic foot care team, wound care team, physiotherapists and occupational therapists managed the patients and none of them required amputations. We propose an alternative way of managing these patients with early surgical debridement followed by topical negative pressure wound dressing.
authors.affiliation: MBChB, MRCS, MSc, ST6, Department of Vascular Surgery, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shahi
authors.affiliation: MBBS, General Practice Trainee, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: Consultant nurse and wound care specialist, Department of Vascular Surgery, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vowden
authors.affiliation: Professor, Consultant Vascular Surgeon and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Department of Vascular Surgery, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vowden
mesh_terms: D001768:Blister / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012189:Retrospective Studies