This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Diabetic bullae

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Bullosis diabeticorum

  • bullosis diabeticorum (BD) is a spontaneous, noninflammatory, recurrent, and blistering condition, that is, uniquely affects patients with diabetes mellitus
  • usually affects acral and distal skin of lower extremities
    • bullae are painless and contain sterile fluid

For images of diabetic bullae and further information then click here

  • condition occurs in about 0.5% of diabetics in the USA (1,2)
  • a male-to-female ratio of 2:1

Differential diagnosis includes bullous pemphigoid, which can excluded via biopsy

Management:

  • no specific management - there is usually spontaneous healing in a few weeks; management is aimed at avoidance of secondary infection

Reference:

  1. Gupta V et al. Bullosis Diabeticorum: Rare Presentation in a Common Disease.Case Rep Endocrinol. 2014; 2014: 862912.
  2. Duff M et al. Cutaneous Manifestations of Diabetes Mellitus.Clin Diabetes. 2015 Jan; 33(1): 40-48.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.