Journals / Turkish Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care / 2026 / Cilt: 20 Sayı: 3

Generalized Pruritus as the Sole Presenting Symptom of Diabetes Mellitus: A Case Report

DIYABETIN ILK SEMPTOMU OLARAK; YAYGIN KAŞINTI: OLGU SUNUMU

Pages
333–335
Publication Date
2026-09-01
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

This case warns clinicians, especially primary care physicians, that generalized pruritus can be the sole presenting symptom of DM.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Pruritus is a significant symptom that negatively affects the patient's quality of life and may indicate an underlying systemic disease.
📊
Key Findings & Data:This case report describes a 52-year-old male patient who presented with the sole complaint of generalized pruritus lasting two weeks and was subsequently diagnosed with DM.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:This case warns clinicians, especially primary care physicians, that generalized pruritus can be the sole presenting symptom of DM.
🔬Design:Olgu Sunumu
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:kaşıntı · aile hekimliği · diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Pruritus is a significant symptom that negatively affects the patient's quality of life and may indicate an underlying systemic disease. While classic symptoms of diabetes mellitus (DM) are often polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and weakness, some patients may present with only generalized pruritus. This case report describes a 52-year-old male patient who presented with the sole complaint of generalized pruritus lasting two weeks and was subsequently diagnosed with DM. The absence of any classic cardinal DM symptoms makes this presentation rare. The patient was started on metformin 850 mg twice daily, and the pruritus completely resolved after 12 weeks of follow-up. This case warns clinicians, especially primary care physicians, that generalized pruritus can be the sole presenting symptom of DM.

Özet

Kaşıntı, hastanın yaşam kalitesini olumsuz etkileyen ve altta yatan bir sistemik hastalığa işaret edebilen önemli bir durumdur. Çoğu vakada diyabet semptomları poliüri, polidipsi, halsizlik ve yorgunluk iken, bazen hastalarda tek şikayet yaygın kaşıntı olabilir. Bu olgu sunumunda, tek şikayeti iki haftadır devam eden ve özellikle geceleri artan yaygın kaşıntı olan ve yapılan tetkikler sonucunda Diyabetes Mellitus (DM) tanısı alan 52 yaşındaki bir erkek hasta incelenmiştir. Olgunun, diyabetin sık görülen poliüri, polidipsi, halsizlik gibi diğer semptomların hiçbirini göstermemesi bu olgu sunumunu nadir kılmaktadır. Hastaya metformin 850 mg 2x1 başlanmış ve kaşıntı şikayeti 12 haftalık takip sonucunda tamamen gerilemiştir. Bu olgu yaygın kaşıntının diyabetin ilk ve tek bulgusu olabileceği konusunda klinisyenler açısından uyarıcıdır.

🔖

Cite This Article

Şahin, E. V. (2026). Generalized Pruritus as the Sole Presenting Symptom of Diabetes Mellitus: A Case Report. Turkish Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Cilt: 20 Sayı: 3, 333–335. https://doi.org/10.21763/tjfmpc.1816616

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (10)

  1. Pereira MP, Ständer S. Chronic Pruritus: Etiology, Diagnosis and Treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2022;119(44):751-757.
  2. Tivoli YA, Rubenstein RM. Pruritus: An updated look at an old problem. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2009;2(2):30–6.
  3. Khopkar U, Pande S. Etiopathogenesis of pruritus due to systemic causes: Implications for treatment. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2007;73(4):215-7.
  4. Türkiye Endokrinoloji ve Metabolizma Derneği. Diabetes Mellitus ve Komplikasyonlarının Tanı, Tedavi ve İzlem Kılavuzu. Ankara: TEMD Yayınları; 2024.
  5. Wang YR, Margolis D. The prevalence of diagnosed cutaneous manifestations during ambulatory diabetes visits in the United States, 1998–2002. Dermatology. 2006;212(3):229-34.
  6. Romano G, Moretti G, Di Benedetto A, Giofre C, Di Cesare E, Russo G, et al. Skin lesions in diabetes mellitus: prevalence and clinical correlations. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 1998;39(2):101-6.
  7. Sanad EM, ElFangary MM, Sorour NE, ElNemisy NM. Skin manifestations in Egyptian diabetic patients: a case series study. Egypt J Dermatol Venereol. 2013;33(2):56-62.
  8. Blakytny R, Jude EB. Altered molecular mechanisms of diabetic foot ulcers. Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2009;8(2):95-104.
  9. Ko MJ, Chiu HC, Jee SH, Hu FC, Tseng CH. Postprandial blood glucose is associated with generalized pruritus in patients with type 2 diabetes. Eur J Dermatol. 2013;23(5):688-93.
  10. Saisho, Y. (2015). Metformin and inflammation: its potential beyond glucose-lowering effect. Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders-Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets-Immune, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders), 15(3), 196-205.