[Diabetic hand syndrome in juvenile diabetics]

247 patients with juvenile diabetes mellitus, aged 3-37 years, were examined for diabetic hand syndrome. 68 (27%) had 1 or more of the manifestations of diabetic hand syndrome. In 45 (18%) flexion contractures were found, 41 (17%) had skin changes resembling those of scleroderma and digital sclerosis, and 12 (5%) suffered from trigger finger. We found an association between diabetic hand syndrome and diabetes control as evaluated by serial levels of hemoglobin A1c measured during the years of follow-up. A high relative risk for microvascular complications was found in those who had diabetic hand syndrome, compared to the others. The relative risk for retinopathy was 2.5 times greater in patients with diabetic hand syndrome (p less than 0.001). These results show that diabetic hand syndrome is a common presentation of juvenile diabetes mellitus and can be utilized as a marker for some of its complications.