A woman with swollen legs

Diabetic muscle infarction is a rare complication of diabetes mellitus. In one series of 56 patients with diabetic muscle infarction, 52% were women.1 The mean age at presentation was 415 years (range 19-81 years). 30 patients had type 1 diabetes mellitus. Patients with diabetic muscle infarction ha...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Lancet (British edition) 2002-02, Vol.359 (9304), p.402-402
Main Authors: Chow, Chik Cheung, Mo, Ka Leung, Wong, Kin Shing
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abscesses
Antidepressants
Associated diseases and complications
Biological and medical sciences
Biopsy
Case reports
Case studies
Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications
Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance
Edema
Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases)
Endocrinopathies
Female
Humans
Infarction - etiology
Infarction - therapy
Leg - blood supply
Leg - diagnostic imaging
Leg - pathology
Legs
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Medical diagnosis
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Muscles
Muscular Diseases - diagnosis
Muscular Diseases - etiology
Muscular Diseases - therapy
Muscular system
Musculoskeletal system
Pain
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonography
Water content
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Diabetic muscle infarction is a rare complication of diabetes mellitus. In one series of 56 patients with diabetic muscle infarction, 52% were women.1 The mean age at presentation was 415 years (range 19-81 years). 30 patients had type 1 diabetes mellitus. Patients with diabetic muscle infarction have a long duration of diabetes mellitus (mean 15-2 years), poor diabetic control, and microvascular diabetic complications.2 The typical clinical presentation is painful muscle swelling, or a muscle mass. There is a predilection for quadriceps, hip adductors, and calf muscles.2 Bilateral limb involvement at the same time is rare. Creatine kinase concentration is reported to be normal in 75% of patients.3 The differential diagnosis includes abscess, cellulitis, muscle tumours, myositis, and osteomyelitis. Ultrasound imaging shows enlargement of the muscles. MRI is the investigation of choice.3 T2-- weighted imaging shows an increased signal in the intramuscular and perimuscular tissues secondary to increased water content from oedema and haemorrhage that accompany the infarction. If MRI cannot exclude a neoplastic process or infection, a core-needle biopsy of the muscle is indicated.4 The pathogenesis of diabetic muscle infarction is not well understood. Microvascular disease may be involved, since these patients usually have other microvascular complications.
ISSN:0140-6736
1474-547X
DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)07602-X