Bullous prurigo pigmentosa and diabetes

Abstract

Prurigo pigmentosa (PP) is a type of inflammatory dermatosis characterized by pruritic, reddish, papular lesions that normally resolve while leaving gross reticular pigmentation. In severe cases however, they may form edematous infiltrative plaques, but no formation of vesicles or bullae is generally found. We herein present the case of a 32-year-old Japanese male patient with diabetes mellitus, who developed a severe vesicular formation. Minocycline was found to be very effective. In addition, the eruption subsided when the urine glucose and ketone levels were controlled by glibenclamide. The most characteristic feature in this case was the fact that numerous vesicles and bullae were seen both in the beginning and throughout the clinical course. It therefore seems that a sudden exacerbation of diabetes mellitus was associated with a severe formation of vesicles and bullae. The findings of this case may suggest a correlation between diabetes mellitus and PP.