Cutaneous Manifestations of Diabetic Patients: A Cross-sectional Clinical Descriptive Study
Muhsin A. Al-Dhalimi, Ammar N. YaseenBackground:
Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent global endocrine disorder, with cutaneous manifestations being among its most common complications.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of cutaneous manifestations in diabetic patients.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2023 to August 2024 and included 868 patients with confirmed diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2), diagnosed by an endocrinologist or internist, and attending the diabetic tertiary center at Al-Sader Medical City in Al-Najaf Province. A detailed history, clinical examination, and hemoglobin A1c evaluation were performed. All diabetic patients with or without cutaneous manifestations, regardless of age, sex, disease duration, or diabetes type, who consented to participate were included.
Results:
Cutaneous manifestations were observed in 502 (57.8%) of the 868 patients. The most common findings were pruritus (25.3%), followed by cutaneous infections (18.9%), xerosis (15.3%), and diabetic dermopathy (14.9%). A higher number of dermatological manifestations were associated with older age and longer duration of diabetes.
Conclusion:
Pruritus, cutaneous infections, xerosis, and diabetic dermopathy were the most frequently observed cutaneous manifestations in diabetic patients. The prevalence of these manifestations increased with age and longer disease duration.