A diabetic woman with a swollen forearm

Abstract

Diabetic muscle infarction (DMI) is an unusual complication of diabetes mellitus. It is usually seen in long-standing diabetes mellitus. This article presents a case of DMI in the left forearm of a 58-year-old woman. She had a swollen forearm. The level of creatine kinase was 5930 U/L. Her condition was initially suspected for either cellulitis or venous thrombosis. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of the forearm showed diffuse edema and abnormal signals of the left forearm. The diagnosis of DMI was made. She was treated conservatively and her symptoms resolved within a short period of time. DMI should be considered as a differential diagnosis of any painful and swollen limb in diabetic patients.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; infarction; muscle.

Figure 1

(a) Axial T1-weighted magnetic resonance image of the left forearm. It shows diffuse edema and low signal intensities in the left forearm muscles, with subcutaneous soft tissue swelling (arrowheads). (b) A Sagital T2-weighted magnetic resonance image shows diffuse edema and high signal intensities in the forearm muscles, with subcutaneous soft tissue swelling (arrow)

Figure 2

(a) Axial T1-weighted and (b) coronal T2-weighted magnetic resonance images after three months show no abnormalities