Skin findings and their comparison in thyroid and type ii diabetic patients

Diabetes mellitus and thyroid diseases are common in general population and many cutaneous manifestationes may be observed in these groups. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by disturbances of carbonhydrate, lipid and protein metabolism. Cutaneous manifestations are observed in 30-71% of diabetic patients and cutaneous infections have an important role. Cutaneous manifestations in tyhroid diseases are generally due to thyroid hormon?s direct effect on epidermis, hair and nail epitelium and dermal stromal cells.Although cutaneous findings generally apper during the diseases, they may be the first signs, so that the cutaneous changes must be well known. In diabetic group; especially mycotic infections should be recognized at early period and therapeutic and prophylactic approaches should be applied.The patients who were followed at the departmant of Endocrinology and attended to Department of Dermatology in Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine with type II Diabetes Mellitus and thyroid diseases underwent dermatologic examination. One hundred patients with type II Diabetes whose mean age were 59,50±10,36 and one hundred patients with thyroid diseases whose mean age were 49,09±13,54 get involved in study. In diabet group the mean duration of the disease was 7,52 ± 6,61 years. Neuropathy was observed in 29%, retinopathy was observed 25% and nephropathy was observed 4% of patients. In thyroid group the mean duration of the disease was 7,77 ± 10,35 years and 49% of patients were euthyroid, 35% of patients were hypothyroid and 16% of patients were hyperthyroid.In diabet group; skin tag (51%), onychomycosis (38%) and hemangioma (33%), in thyroid group nail dystrophy (64%), hair loss (45%), xerosis (37%) and plantar hyperkeratosis (37%) were most frequently observed cutaneous findings.There was a statistically significant relationship between the frequencies of diabetic neuropathy, palmar erythema, diabetic dermopathy and the duration of diabetes mellitus (p=0,000, p=0,007, p=0,031). There was a statistically significant relationship between the frequencies of palmar erythema, xerosis, onycomycosis and the presence of neuropathy (p=0,005, p=0,000, p=0,007). There was a statistically significant relationship between the frequencies of onycomycosis and the frequencies of retinopathy (p=0,002). Dermopathy and onycomycosis were also statistically significant in age groups who are older than the mean age.In hypothyroid group, xerosis, pruritus and hair xerasia were higher than thyroid group (p=0,000, p=0,005, p=0,030) and hair loss and lubrication of hair were higher in hyperthyroid group (p=0,008, p=0,002).As comparasion of diabet and thyroid groups; nail dystrophy, hair loss and hair xerasia were higher in thyroid group (p=0,000, p=0,000, p=0,000).Our study shows that varying types of skin manifestations can be observed in endocrinologic diseases. Therefore these patients should be evaluated and followed up also for skin disorders.Key words: Diabetes mellitus type II, thyroid disease, cutaneous manifestations