May 23, 2000
Other Illnesses
Question from New Milford, New Jersey, USA:
My two-and-a-half year old daughter has Type 1 diabetes. She was diagnosed when she went into DKA right after her second birthday. When she was brought into the ER, it was noted that there was a large lump on the back of her head. It was about 2 inch diameter and had a blister like feel. Later, the blister opened, and the dead skin fell of, taking with it the hair in that region of her scalp. The area was cleared of infection through the use of oral and topical antibiotics, but there has been no return of the full thickness of the skin and no regrowth of the hair. My daughter sometimes complains of pain to the site when there are highs and lows. Is there something related to the diabetes about dermatological problems like this?
Answer:
I have never heard of such a problem. Patients with diabetes are slightly more susceptible to an autoimmune problem that causes hair loss called alopecia, but this does not sound like what your daughter has. I suspect that when she developed diabetes she developed a skin infection that caused the hair loss. High blood sugars predispose individuals to both bacterial and fungal skin infections. I would make sure a fungal infection has also been ruled out. I would also make sure her thyroid function is normal as people with diabetes have an increased risk of developing an underactive thyroid which when untreated can interfere with normal hair growth. I would also make sure you have seen a dermatologist if you haven’t already.
TGL
