[Why are diabetic patients treated at rheumatological hospitals?]

Retrospective analysis included 316 case histories of diabetic patients treated at the Silesian Rheumatology Hospital in 1987-1988. An analysis included causes of disorders, calcium-phosphorus metabolism disturbances, lipid and purine disorders. Statistical parameters were compared with the type of diabetes mellitus, duration of the disease, sex, age and obesity. There were 10% of inflammatory rheumatic disorders (6.4% rheumatic arthritis, 1.7% of rheumatoid spondylosis and 2% of other disorders) in the analysed case histories, and 32% of degenerative disorders (19% of vertebral column joints and 12.7% of other joints). Degenerative disorders were noted more frequently in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, treated with insulin, while spondylopathies were particularly frequent in female patients of this group. Biochemical disorders in the form of hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia, signs of lesions to the liver and kidneys were more increasing with the duration of the disease and the degree of insulin-dependence. Locomotive system disorders are not related only to primary articular lesions. They depend also on diabetic neuro-vascular complications and osteopenia.