Tahir Maham, Raja Andleeb
Emergency Department, Bahria International Hospital, Rawalpindi, PAK.
Cureus. 2024 Dec 6;16(12):e75225. doi: 10.7759/cureus.75225. eCollection 2024 Dec.
This case report presents a rare instance of a 28-year-old female patient with insulin-induced abdominal lipodystrophy, who presented to the emergency department with symptoms of an anxiety attack triggered by body image distress. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of eight years. For the past 10 years, she has been using insulin glargine and insulin lispro, injecting roughly five times per day. The patient knew the importance of the need to rotate injection sites and injection techniques. She mentioned that she changed her insulin needles every two weeks because she was lazy about it. She also mentioned that she used 4 mm 32G pen needles. Her diabetes was well-controlled, with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels of 6.5%. Clinical examination revealed a soft swelling with striae on the abdomen (hypogastrium and left iliac fossa). The patient reported repeated insulin injections, both rapid-acting and long-acting, in the same lipodystrophic region because it was less painful and provided easier access to the injection site in public. The patient was known to the emergency department staff due to her repeated visits with symptoms of anxiety. Lipodystrophy is a condition characterized by abnormal fat distribution at insulin injection sites. Insulin-induced lipodystrophy is a known complication of long-term insulin therapy, often leading to local adiposity, metabolic disturbances, and psychological challenges. The report underscores the importance of considering psychological aspects when managing patients with acquired lipodystrophy, highlighting the relationship between fat redistribution and depression in this patient population, who are already at increased risk of mood disorders.
本病例报告呈现了一例罕见情况,一名28岁女性患者患有胰岛素诱导的腹部脂肪营养不良,因身体形象困扰引发焦虑发作症状而就诊于急诊科。她8岁时被诊断为1型糖尿病。在过去10年里,她一直使用甘精胰岛素和赖脯胰岛素,每天大约注射5次。患者知道轮换注射部位和注射技术的重要性。她提到因为偷懒,她每两周更换一次胰岛素针头。她还提到使用的是4毫米32G的笔式针头。她的糖尿病控制良好,糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)水平为6.5%。临床检查发现腹部(下腹部和左髂窝)有伴有条纹的柔软肿胀。患者报告称,由于同一脂肪营养不良区域注射时疼痛较轻且在公共场合更容易找到注射部位,她在该区域反复注射速效和长效胰岛素。由于她因焦虑症状多次就诊,急诊科工作人员对该患者很熟悉。脂肪营养不良是一种以胰岛素注射部位脂肪分布异常为特征的病症。胰岛素诱导的脂肪营养不良是长期胰岛素治疗的一种已知并发症,常导致局部肥胖、代谢紊乱和心理挑战。该报告强调了在管理获得性脂肪营养不良患者时考虑心理因素的重要性,突出了该患者群体中脂肪重新分布与抑郁之间的关系,这类患者本身患情绪障碍的风险就更高。