[Morphogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy]

Skin biopsies from 40 patients 17 to 75 years old with type I and II diabetes mellitus were studied morphologically. The formation of diabetic microangiopathy starts with the damage of endotheliocytes, vascular permeability disturbance, activation of pericytes and smooth muscle elements with subsequent thickening of basal membranes and capillary and arteriole hyalinosis, these lesions being directly related to the duration of diabetes. Diabetic microangiopathy is a manifestation of the disease and its morphology is similar in both type I and II diabetes.