[Transitory neonatal diabetes]

Transitory neonatal diabetes mellitus is a rare carbohydrate metabolism disorder that usually occurs between the ages of 2 days and 6 months. We report the case of an asymptomatic newborn treated with NPH insulin, in whom genetic study revealed an alteration associated with neonatal diabetes. The patient was a low birth weight infant born after 37 weeks' gestation to a previously childless mother with gestational diabetes controlled by diet. There were familial antecedents of diabetes. Physical examination revealed only syndactylia of the second and third toes. Asymptomatic hyperglycemia higher than 200mg/dl was detected on the second day of life. Treatment with regular subcutaneous insulin was started on the fourth day of life with irregular response. On the forty-first day of life treatment with NPH insulin was started with better response, permitting the reduction of regular insulin until its suppression 15 days later. Treatment with NPH insulin was stopped when the patient was 9 months old. During this time concentrations of insulin, cortisone, peptide C, insulin antibodies, anti-TPO, anti-TG, anti-GAD, anti-tyrosine-phosphatase and glycosylate hemoglobin were normal. Abdominal echography showed no abnormalities. Karyotype: 46 XX, der(6)dup(q22-q23) (long arm duplication of chromosome number 6).In conclusion, NPH insulin could provide an alternative to regular insulin in the treatment of transitory neonatal diabetes mellitus. Its association with genetic alterations could alter prognosis.