I’m interested in more information about my bald spot. Is this something I should contact my diabetes team about?

It is now well understood that childhood type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune illness, and thus it is relatively often associated with other organ-specific autoimmune diseases (mostly of the endocrine system) such as autoimmune thyroid diseases (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease), duodenal mucosa atrophy secondary to gluten sensitivity (celiac disease), multiple sclerosis and vitiligo [depigmentation of the skin]. The most common is thyroid disease (one in ten diabetic children will eventually develop it) and celiac disease (one in fifty) whilst this risk is much lower for other disorders. In few instances hair loss may be a feature of this endocrine failure syndrome and it commonly presents as one or two small circumscribed bald areas, usually of the scalp (alopecia areata), which may not progress but in some few patients will increase in size, coalesce and extend until all scalp hair is lost (alopecia totalis) or all body hair (alopecia universalis). Most patients with alopecia areata will do well.

MS