
May 18, 2009
Other Illnesses
Question from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA:
My 15-year-old daughter was just diagnosed with androgen excess syndrome. She has had type 1 diabetes for six years. Are they related? What kinds of testing should she have?
We have only ever used our pediatricians and local diabetic educator. Is it time for an endocrinologist?
Answer:
If your daughter were also obese, then there could be some interrelationship. Otherwise, these are just two separate diagnoses. Most of us who are pediatric diabetologists believe that optimal diabetes care requires working with a team of pediatric diabetes experts, but whether or not you agree would depend upon your own philosophy, A1c results, education provided, assistance by nurse educators and dietitians, availability of regularly scheduled eye checks, kidney, lipid, thyroid and celiac screening, etc.
SB