Insulin edema in diabetes mellitus associated with the 3243 mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)) mutation; case reports

Overview of Atypical Diabetes

Although type 1 diabetes mellitus and, to a lesser extent, type 2 diabetes mellitus, are the prevailing forms of diabetes in youth, atypical forms of diabetes are not uncommon and may require etiology-specific therapies. By some estimates, up to 6.5% of children with diabetes have monogenic forms. Mitochondrial diabetes and cystic fibrosis related diabetes are less common but often noted in the underlying disease. Atypical diabetes should be considered in patients with a known disorder associated with diabetes, aged less than 25 years with nonautoimmune diabetes and without typical characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and/or with comorbidities associated with atypical diabetes.

Insulin Edema Associated With Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes and High Glycated Hemoglobin: A Case and Review of the Pediatric Literature

Insulin edema is a rare and poorly understood complication of insulin therapy. It has been associated with the initiation of insulin in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes or the intensification of insulin therapy in those with poor glycemic control. This condition is rarely reported in pediatric patients. We describe a case of insulin edema in a 14-year-old boy with potential risk factors of highly elevated glycated hemoglobin at diagnosis and history of unilateral renal atrophy. We also present a discussion of the pathophysiology of this condition and a review of the pediatric literature.

Insulin oedema in a child with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus

Insulin oedema is a rare complication of insulin therapy for diabetes mellitus. It has been reported in type 1 diabetes mellitus, in poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus following either the initiation or intensification of insulin therapy and in underweight patients on large doses of insulin. There are only a few case reports since it was first described in 1928, showing that it is an uncommon and probably an under-reported complication. The majority of those reports have been in the adult population. The generalised oedema tends to develop shortly after initiation or intensification of insulin therapy and resolves spontaneously within few weeks. We present one of the youngest patients reported in the literature, a 9-year-old boy who developed insulin oedema within few days of presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis. The case highlights the importance of recognising this generally transient and self-resolving complication and differentiating it from other serious causes of oedema.

Case of insulin edema occurring during intensive insulin therapy after bone marrow transplantation

A 50-year-old female patient, who had had a long-term history of myelodysplastic syndrome and type II diabetes mellitus, had developed acute myelogenous leukemia and received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). She was being treated with tacrolimus, methotrexate and prednisolone for prophylaxis and treatment of graft-versus-host disease, and with intensive insulin therapy for better glycemic control. The patient suddenly developed marked leg edema at 27 days after starting intensive insulin therapy (on day 40 after BMT) without coexistence or exacerbation of apparent causes such as renal failure, cardiac dysfunction or leg thrombosis around the onset of leg edema. Interestingly, the leg edema regressed soon after daytime hyperglycemia and intensive insulin therapy were performed. Histopathological examination revealed slight dermal edema and small bullae with little inflammatory infiltration but no signs of autoimmune blistering diseases or vasculitis. These findings indicate that the present case may be considered a form of so-called insulin edema occurring during intensive insulin therapy after BMT.

Clinical features, diagnosis and management of maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) associated with the 3243A>G mitochondrial point mutation

Maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) affects up to 1% of patients with diabetes but is often unrecognized by physicians. It is important to make an accurate genetic diagnosis, as there are implications for clinical investigation, diagnosis, management and genetic counselling. This review summarizes the range of clinical phenotypes associated with MIDD; outlines the advances in genetic diagnosis and pathogenesis of MIDD; summarizes the published prevalence data and provides guidance on the clinical management of these patients and their families.

Bilateral pleural effusions, ascites, and facial and peripheral oedema in a 19-year-old woman 2 weeks following commencement of insulin lispro and detemir--an unusual presentation of insulin oedema

Insulin oedema is a rare complication of insulin therapy and usually occurs in patients with Type 1 diabetes. It can present in a variety of ways, from mild peripheral oedema to cardiac failure and massive serosal effusions. We report a 19-year-old woman with newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes who presented with bilateral pleural effusions, ascites and extensive peripheral oedema 2 weeks after starting insulin therapy. Significant cardiac disease was excluded, and the massive fluid retention resolved spontaneously with conservative management. A review of the literature is presented.

Severe hyponatremia due to hypopituitarism with adrenal insufficiency: a case report

OBJECTIVE

Adrenal insufficiency due to hypopituitarism can lead to severe hyponatremia with potentially fatal consequences. Prompt diagnosis and adequate hormonal replacement therapy are essential to block an otherwise unfavorable course and to re-establish a healthy life. Unfortunately, this condition is often misdiagnosed.

DESIGN

Case report.

SETTING

Intensive Care Unit of a teaching hospital.

PATIENT

A 76-yr-old man with refractory hypotension, acute myocardial infarction, and left ventricular dysfunction, secondary to severe chronic pan-hypopituitarism, associated with severe hyponatremia.

METHODS AND MAIN RESULTS

The patient underwent mechanical ventilation and continuous venous-venous hemodiafiltration, for severe respiratory and renal insufficiency. A hormonal replacement therapy with T4, hydrocortisone, and nandrolone was started and the patient was discharged to a rehabilitation facility after 31 days of hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypopituitarism with secondary adrenal insufficiency is often misdiagnosed at an early stage and a high degree of suspicion is necessary for early diagnosis. Determination of plasma cortisol level in patients with hyponatremia not explained by other causes should always be obtained.

Insulin-induced oedema in children and adolescents

Oedema is an uncommon complication of insulin therapy, which has only rarely been reported in childhood. We describe a case of a 12-year-old girl with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, who presented with oedema of the lower extremities and periorbitally, one day after the initiation of insulin treatment. Other causes of oedema were excluded. Following administration of frusemide, oedema resolved within ten days. An extended review of the literature revealed only nine cases of insulin-induced oedema in children and adolescents aged </=16 years. In conclusion, insulin-induced oedema should be considered during the introduction of insulin therapy in children and adolescents with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. Loop diuretics and ephedrine may be beneficial when spontaneous resolution does not occur.

Cognitive impairment in neuromuscular disorders

Several studies have suggested the presence of central nervous system involvement manifesting as cognitive impairment in diseases traditionally confined to the peripheral nervous system. The aim of this review is to highlight the character of clinical, genetic, neurofunctional, cognitive, and psychiatric deficits in neuromuscular disorders. A high correlation between cognitive features and cerebral protein expression or function is evident in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy (Steinert disease), and mitochondrial encephalomyopathies; direct correlation between tissue-specific protein expression and cognitive deficits is still elusive in certain neuromuscular disorders presenting with or without a cerebral abnormality, such as congenital muscular dystrophies, congenital myopathies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, adult polyglucosan body disease, and limb-girdle muscular dystrophies. No clear cognitive deficits have been found in spinal muscular atrophy and facioscapulohumeral dystrophy.

A case of insulin edema with inappropriate hyperaldosteronism

Edema of variable severity is an uncommon complication of insulin treatment. Increased sodium reabsorption, transient proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia are the most frequently reported laboratory disorders at the time of edema formation. This case report describes a 44-yr-old man with a 4-month history of anorexia, polyuria, polydipsia and weight loss of 25 kg who presented with diabetic ketoacidosis. On admission, there were no clinical or laboratory signs of volume depletion. Following insulin treatment he developed marked insulin edema and a cluster of abnormalities, including decreased sodium excretion, hypokalemia, hypouricemia, proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia and anemia. The diagnostic work-up showed the presence of high renin and aldosterone values despite the absence of evident hypovolemia and no evidence of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, renal, thyroid, hepatic or other endocrine disorder. Complement values were normal; autonomic neuropathy and venoocclusive intraabdominal lesions were excluded and no other drugs except insulin were administered. Initiation of spironolactone was associated with prompt resolution of the edema and gradual correction of the laboratory abnormalities. Our findings show that hyperaldosteronism may occur in patients with insulin edema, even in the absence of volume depletion, contributing to the development of increased sodium reabsorption and of other laboratory disorders.

Insulin Edema in the Twenty-first Century: Review of the Existing Literature

Generalized insulin edema, although rare, is a well-recognized complication of insulin therapy. It is mainly appreciated in patients with newly diagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes mellitus after starting intensive insulin therapy. Although the condition is self-limiting, progression to overt cardiac failure and development of pleural effusion have been reported. With current trends toward intensive insulin therapy, clinicians should be aware of the existence of the insulin edema syndrome, and its occurrence should be documented and differentiated from other causes of edema. In this article, we present a recent case that illustrates the clinical features of insulin edema. Specifically, a young male with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus developed significant, reversible peripheral edema after starting insulin therapy. A detailed case description is accompanied by the only known published photographs of insulin edema. The overall purpose of this article is to review the scanty existing medical literature surrounding the topic of insulin edema and to raise awareness about its continued occurrence.

Does the use of insulin in a patient with liver dysfunction increase water retention in the body, i.e. cause insulin oedema?

A 68-year-old female with mild diabetes mellitus was admitted because of acute liver dysfunction due to autoimmune hepatitis. While 40 mg/day of prednisolone improved hepatic dysfunction dramatically, her diabetic milieu deteriorated seriously. The induced hyperglycaemia could not be controlled sufficiently, despite a high dose of insulin (> 110 units/day), suggesting the existence of insulin insensitivity and hyperinsulinaemia. Soon after introduction of insulin therapy, she developed severe anasarca, including marked peripheral oedema, ascites and pleural effusion. Anasarca eventually subsided within 4 weeks with the use of a diuretic agent. We conjectured that the side effects of insulin, such as anti-natriuresis and increased vascular permeability, might be pronounced in the presence of the hepatic dysfunction that accompanies insulin insensitivity, hyperinsulinaemia and hypoalbuminaemia.

Natural course of insulin edema

Generalized edema due to water retention is a very rare complication of insulin therapy. It affects mainly patients with newly diagnosed diabetes or patients with chronic hyperglycemia following initiation of insulin therapy. When it occurs, it is treated effectively with diuretics. This case report describes a female patient, who developed severe insulin edema following initiation of insulin. Diuretics were not given due to severe side effects, thus the natural outcome of insulin edema was observed. Edema was gradually replaced by fat tissue with persistent weight gain. Physicians treating diabetic patients should be aware of "insulin edema" in the differential diagnosis of weight gain in patients treated with insulin.

Diabetes mellitus associated with the 3243 mitochondrial tRNA(Leu)(UUR) mutation: insulin secretion and sensitivity

To investigate the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus associated with the 3243 mitochondrial tRNA(Leu)(UUR) mutation (DM-Mt3243), insulin secretion and sensitivity were studied using the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT), 1-mg intravenous glucagon test, and euglycemic glucose clamp test. Twelve DM-Mt3243 patients were investigated (seven men and five women). Their ages ranged from 36 to 74 years, and the onset of diabetes occurred at 44.5 +/- 9.5 years (mean +/- SD). In the glucose tolerance test, nine patients (75.0%) showed lower C-peptide reactivity (CPR) than normal at 30 minutes, suggesting blunted insulin secretion. Three patients showed an impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) pattern, although they had absolute hyperglycemia at the onset of diabetes. In the glucagon test, 10 patients (76.3%) had CPR within the normal range at 6 minutes, indicating an adequate response. In the glucose clamp test, the M value was 8.70 +/- 2.35 mg/kg/min and was within normal limits in all patients. The glucose metabolized (M value) was negatively correlated with 24-hour urinary C-peptide excretion (r = .696, P < .05). Thus, plasma CPR to glucose loading was blunted in many DM-Mt3243 patients, but CPR to glucagon was relatively well preserved. This difference in the intrinsic insulin response to the two stimuli may be characteristic of DM-Mt3243. Although M values were normal in all subjects, the correlation with 24-hour urinary C-peptide excretion suggests a relationship between insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. These two mechanisms may cooperate to maintain homeostasis in this disease. Since three patients did not progress with aging, this mutation may not always cause gradual beta-cell destruction.

Muscle histopathology in diabetes mellitus associated with mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)) mutation at position 3243

Diabetes mellitus associated with 3243 mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)) mutation (DM-Mt3243) is a subtype of the mitochondrial multisystem syndromes, usually lacking myopathy. Muscle biopsies were obtained from 5 patients with diabetes and one patient with impaired glucose tolerance, all possessing the 3243 mutation without hallmarks of MELAS. The specimens were subjected to histochemical, biochemical, and genetic analysis. Ragged-red fibers were seen in 4 of the 6 patients (67%), and focal cytochrome c oxidase deficiency in 3 (50%). Strongly succinate dehydrogenase-reactive blood vessels was found in 5 patients (83%). The histochemical signs were present even when the mutant percentage was very low. The percentage of mutant DNA was almost always higher in muscles than in leukocytes. The combination of allele specific PCR amplification and PCR-RFLP method was useful to evaluate the mutant proportion. The mutant percentage in muscle was under 50% in 5 (83%) patients. Mitochondrial enzyme activity was deficient only in one patient. This study presents the detailed muscle histopathology in the DM-Mt3243 group. Abnormal histopathologic findings seemed similar to those noted in MELAS. However, mutant percentage in muscles was lower than that of MELAS, and respiratory chain enzyme activity was well preserved.

Diabetes mellitus associated with 3243 mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)) mutation: clinical features and coenzyme Q10 treatment

Diabetes mellitus associated with mitochondrial tRNA mutation at position 3243(DM-Mt3243) is a new disease. Patients have a distinctly different picture from MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes). During observations at the Saiseikai Central Hospital, the following findings were noted in DM-Mt3243 patients: DM-Mt3243 patients are diagnosed earlier with diabetes, compared to NIDDM (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) controls without family history. DM-Mt3243 patients often need insulin more often than NIDDM controls without family history. Post-treatment neuropathy and insulin edema are often found in DM-Mt3243, and the two phenomena possibly have a similar pathophysiology related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Ambiguous psychiatric disorders of functional psychosis are observed frequently in DM-Mt3243. Mild headache is common in DM-Mt3243 cases. Ambiguous neuromuscular abnormalities such as sleep disturbance, paresthesia of the legs, edema of the legs, and palpitation may be symptoms associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in DM-Mt3243. Coenzyme Q may be effective in the relief of these neuromuscular symptoms.