New-onset ichthyosis and diabetes in a 14-year-old

Diabetes has not been linked to acquired ichthyosis or ichthyosis vulgaris. We report a newly diagnosed diabetic 14-year-old girl with bilateral tibial and sacral ichthyosiform plaques and a hemoglobin A1c of 20.1%. The patient had no personal or family history of atopy or ichthyosis and lacked keratosis pilaris or hyperlinear palms. A biopsy specimen of an ichthyosiform plaque showed compact lamellar orthohyperkeratosis and hypogranulosis, histopathology consistent with either ichthyosis vulgaris or acquired ichthyosis. We speculate that our patient's new-onset diabetes induced acquired ichthyosis.