Scleredema and diabetic sclerodactyly.

A 40-year-old man presented with hardening of the skin of his hands and upper back, which had slowly worsened with time. His medical history included insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus since childhood. Histopathologic features of a biopsy specimen from the skin of his back showed a thick reticular dermis with collagen bundles in a haphazard array, which were separated by increased deposits of connective-tissue mucin. Scleredema and diabetic sclerodactyly are both well recognized skin findings that may occur in patients with diabetes mellitus. It is important to differentiate this condition from scleroderma. Treatment is difficult, and therefore many modalities have been used. This patient has improved with aminobenzoate, colchicine, and DMSO gel.