Here we report an autopsy case of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with severe hypertriglyceridemia (12,900 mg/dl). A 29-year-old woman with a history of type 1 diabetes was found dead at a motel. There was no injury on external inspection, but a lump of cheese-like material was noted in the heart at autopsy and peripheral blood plasma had a creamy appearance. After postmortem biochemical analysis, we made a diagnosis of DKA with severe hypertriglyceridemia and concluded that these unusual autopsy findings were caused by DKA and postmortem change. Uncontrolled diabetes often causes DKA and hypertriglyceridemia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in Korea of DKA with severe hypertriglyceridemia diagnosed by autopsy.
Adult ; Autopsy* ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia* ; Korea ; Plasma ; Postmortem Changes

Diabetic ketoacidosis is an acute complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus, which is observed frequently in routine autopsies. However, there are limitations of postmortem diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis. Clinical diagnostic criteria of the disease are not applicable to postmortem diagnosis because of the postmortem changes of the body; hence, diagnostic morphological changes cannot be observed. We report the case of a 47-year-old man that was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis via routine autopsy and laboratory tests without information regarding his medical history. Additionally, we present a brief literature review.
Autopsy* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Postmortem Changes

Drug-induced pancreatitis accounts for 0.1~2.0% of all pancreatitis cases. Generally, the mechanism of drug-induced pancreatitis is an immune reaction, accumulation of toxic material, and/or ischemia. However, how dapsone causes pancreatitis remains unclear. A 61-year-old man presented with a 2-week history of epigastric discomfort. He had taken dapsone for 2 months to treat psoriasis. Laboratory findings showed high blood glucose levels and metabolic acidosis; however, hemoglobin A1c was low. Serum amylase and lipase levels were elevated to 125/4,479 U/L. Abdominal computed tomography was indicative of pancreatitis. There was no causative history of pancreatitis and no other medication history except dapsone. Thus, we reached a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) followed by dapsone-induced pancreatitis. The patient fasted and was treated with insulin administration and fluid hydration in accordance with treatment guidelines. After treatment, amylase and lipase decreased and symptoms subsided, but insulin injection was required to control blood glucose levels. Drug-induced pancreatitis is a very rare adverse effect of dapsone. Only four cases of pancreatitis related to dapsone could be found in a PubMed search. Moreover, diabetes caused by dapsone-induced pancreatitis has not been reported previously. Here, we report a case of DKA caused by dapsoneinduced acute pancreatitis.
Acidosis ; Amylases ; Blood Glucose ; Dapsone ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Insulin ; Ischemia ; Lipase ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatitis* ; Psoriasis

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious complication results from the high blood levels of glucose and ketone in diabetes mellitus patients that cause metabolic overbalance. An analysis of postmortem biochemical indexes is needed in such cases without specific signs of the routine forensic medicine examination. Postmortem biochemistry is a kind of examinations that collecting the body fluids of the corpses to determine the metabolic state of their life time to estimate the cause of death. This paper reviews the basic features and signs of the forensic medicine examination in the dead cases of diabetic ketoacidosis, and emphatically analyzes the postmortem biochemical indexes of diabetic ketoacidosis, and summarizes new ideas of forensic medicine diagnosis in diabetic ketoacidosis death.
Autopsy ; Body Fluids/chemistry* ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis/diagnosis* ; Forensic Medicine ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans

It is important to fast diagnosis and management of the pediatric patients of the endocrine metabolic emergencies because the signs and symptoms of these disorders are nonspecific. Delayed diagnosis and treatment may lead to serious consequences of the pediatric patients, for example, cerebral dysfunction leading to coma or death of the patients with hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, adrenal insufficiency, or diabetic ketoacidosis. The index of suspicion of the endocrine metabolic emergencies should be preceded prior to the starting nonspecific treatment. Importantly, proper diagnosis depends on the collection of blood and urine specimen before nonspecific therapy (intravenous hydration, electrolytes, glucose or calcium injection). At the same time, the taking of precise history and searching for pathognomonic physical findings should be performed. This review was described for fast diagnosis and proper management of hypoglycemic emergencies, hypocalcemia, adrenal insufficiency, and metabolic acidosis including diabetic ketoacidosis.
Acidosis* ; Adrenal Insufficiency* ; Calcium ; Child* ; Coma ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Diagnosis ; Electrolytes ; Emergencies* ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia* ; Hypoglycemia*

Abdominal Pain/etiology* ; Acute Disease ; Appendicitis/diagnosis* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis/diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Errors/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Insulin

Pulmonary mucormycosis is an uncommon, but important opportunistic fungal infection associated with diabetes mellitus, leukemia, lymphoma and other immunocompromised states. Mucor species grow best in acidichigh glucose medium, which explaining the particular susceptibility of diabetic patient who are ketoacidic. Early consideration of this diagnosis, along with aggressive diagnostic evaluation, is critical to effective therapy and patient survival. We have experienced a case of pulmonary murcomycosis mimicking bilateral puimonary edema on chest X-ray that associated with diabetic ketoacidosis. A brief review of the literature was given.
Amphotericin B ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Glucose ; Humans ; Ketosis ; Leukemia ; Lymphoma ; Mucor ; Mucormycosis* ; Pulmonary Edema* ; Thorax*

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a relatively rare but highly virulent and rapidly progressive disease that occurs after inhalation of spores of the fungi that belong to class Zygomycetes. This infection occasionally occurs in seriously immunocompromised patients, but also in patients with uncontrolled diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Diagnosis is pathologic demonstration of typical hyphae within lung tissue, and requires aggressive treatments including surgical and medical approach for reducing the overall mortality. In Korea, pulmonary mucormycosis complicated with diabetes has been reported in only five cases. Recently, we experienced a case of pulmonary mucormycosis in 32-year-old poorly controlled diabetic man, who had nonspecific pulmonary symptoms, a lobar consolidation on chest radiograph, and endobronchial lesions on bronchoscopic finding. We reported here our case and reviewed characteristics of other five previous cases.
Adult ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis ; Diagnosis ; Fungi ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Immunocompromised Host ; Inhalation ; Korea ; Lung ; Mortality ; Mucormycosis* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Spores

PURPOSE: Type I diabetes mellitus(DM) is an autoimmune disease which decreases insulin secretion of pancreatic beta-cell. The honeymoon period in type I DM is known to be related to the partial recovery of C-peptide and preservation of pancreatic beta-cell function. The aim of this study was to determine factors influencing the onset of honeyrnoon period in children with type I DM. METHODS: The study group was composed of 50 patients with type I DM. The honeymoon period was defined as a period requiring less than 0.5U/kg/day to maintain near-normal blood glucose control without urine glucose for consecutive days. The factors for three study were age at diagnosis, sex, initial 24-hr urine C-peptide, initial HbA C, diabetic ketoacidosis and maximum insulin dose for near-normal blood glucose control before honeymoon. RESULTS: The group with honeymoon period received significantly smaller doses of insulin near-normal blood glucose control, compared to the group without honeymoon period, before honeymoon(P<0.01). Other factors had no significant connection with the development of honeymoon period. CONCLUSION: The developrnent of honeymoon period in type I DM had a significant relationship with maximum insulin dose before the onset of honeymoon period for near-normal blood glucose control. This needs remains to be further study.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Blood Glucose ; C-Peptide ; Child* ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis ; Diagnosis ; Glucose ; Humans ; Insulin

OBJECTIVETo establish of blood beta hydroxybutyrate (βOHB) threshold for diagnosing type 2 diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) and explore the relationship between βOHB levels and the severity of DKA.

METHODSCorrelation analysis was performed between serum βOHB and [HCO(3)] in type 2 diabetic patients admitted in the emergency department in the past year. Regression equation was used to calculate the concentration of βOHB corresponding to a [HCO(3)] level of 18.0, 15, and 10.0 mmol/L, and βOHB concentration corresponding to a [HCO(3)] level of 18.0 mmol/l was used as the DKA diagnostic threshold.

RESULTSThe serum βOHB level and [HCO3] concentration showed a good correlation (R²=0.7023, P<0.001). βOHB concentrations that corresponded to a [HCO(3)] level of 18.0, 15, and 10.0 mmol/L were 3.0, 4.70, and 7.5 mmol/L, respectively, in accordance with the severity of DKA. Combined with the blood glucose concentration ≥ 13.9 mmol/L, a blood βOHB≥3.0 mmol/L showed a sensitivity of 99%, specificity of 86%, and total effectiveness of 92.81% for diagnosing DKA.

CONCLUSIONA serum βOHB level above 3.0 mmol/L can be used as the diagnostic threshold of DKA. βOHB can serve as an index for assessing the severity of DKA.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid ; blood ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis ; blood ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Severity of Illness Index