According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 million Americans had diabetes mellitus in 2008, almost 8 percent of the entire population. Another 57 million people were at a high risk of becoming diabetic. Diabetes types 1 and 2 are characterized by high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Insulin lowers blood glucose levels, but in type 2 diabetes, the tissues no longer respond to insulin, leading to a host of symptoms, including various skin disorders.
Scleredema Diabeticorum
In this skin disorder, the skin slowly hardens and thickens on the neck and upper back. The condition may spread to the shoulders, chest, abdomen and face. It is painless, but the skin has a "woody" appearance and looks like "peau d'orange," a medical term which means that the skin looks like the peel of an orange. This may lead to not being able to move the neck in every direction, and less feeling in areas affected by this disorder. Between 3 and 14 percent of diabetics have scleredema diabeticorum, according to "Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine." Most people with this skin disorder have had diabetes mellitus for a long time.
Limited Joint Mobility
Diabetic limited joint mobility is a skin disorder where the skin becomes thick and also tightens. It usually starts with just the little finger, but eventually involves all of the fingers. People will have the "prayer sign," where if they hold one hand against the other, the palms--but not the fingers--will press flat against each other, explains "Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine."
Necrobiosis Lipoidica Diabeticorum
In the November 2006 issue of "The New England Journal of Medicine," James Fang, M.D. writes that diabetics with this disorder have yellowish-brown patches on their skin. The patches have an irregular shape and primarily affect the feet, ankles and front of the lower leg. Women usually have this skin disorder more than men.
Eruptive Xanthomas
A xanthoma is the medical term for yellow or yellowish-brown pimples and patches on the skin. Eruptive xanthoma means that they appear suddenly. There may initially be several of these pimples or patches in one area, but after a while, they may join and become one big patch. They develop in people who have very high triglyceride levels, such as diabetics who fail to control their disease.
Acanthosis Nigricans
This is the most recognized diabetes-related skin disorder, and indicates that the sufferer is developing type 2 diabetes. "Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine" cites a study done in Galveston, Texas where 7 percent of schoolchildren had acanthosis nigricans. Children in the study who were 200 times the normal weight, 66 percent had this skin disorder, and all had high insulin levels, a risk factor for diabetes. Acanthosis nigricans is characterized by brown or grayish-black thick skin along the side of the neck, in the groin, the genital area or under the arms. Most of the time, it is worse at the back of the neck. The skin also feels velvety.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Number of People with Diabetes Increases to 24 Million
- "Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine"; Klauss Wolff, M.D., Lowell Goldsmith, M.D., et al.; 2008
- "The New England Journal of Medicine": Necrobiosis Lipoidica Diabeticorum
