Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
06:21
Osmotic Minipump Implantation for Increasing Glucose Concentration in Mouse Cerebrospinal Fluid
Published on: April 7, 2023
2.3K
Neurologic infections in diabetes mellitus
Cheryl A Jay1, Marylou V Solbrig2
1Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco and Neurology Service, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Handbook of Clinical Neurology
|November 21, 2014
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant risk factor for severe infections, including rare fungal infections and neuroinvasive West Nile virus disease. Neurologists must recognize these neuroinfectious syndromes in diabetic patients for timely treatment.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Endocrinology
- Neurology
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a growing global health concern, often coexisting with other conditions.
- Immunocompromise due to HIV/AIDS and immunosuppressive therapies increases susceptibility to infections.
- DM is linked to various serious infections, including rare and potentially fatal ones.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the association between diabetes mellitus and increased risk of specific infections.
- To emphasize the bidirectional relationship between infections, DM, and the nervous system.
- To inform neurologists about neuroinfectious syndromes in diabetic patients.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and epidemiological studies.
- Analysis of DM as a risk factor in various infectious disease contexts.
- Examination of the interplay between DM, neurological complications, and infections.
Main Results:
- DM is a major comorbidity in rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis, malignant external otitis, and other infections.
- DM is a risk factor for death or neuroinvasive disease in West Nile virus infections.
- DM is associated with an increased risk of herpes zoster and diabetic foot infections due to neuropathy.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between infection, DM, and the nervous system is complex and multidirectional.
- Neurological complications of DM, like polyneuropathy, predispose to systemic infections.
- Familiarity with neuroinfectious syndromes in diabetic patients is crucial for neurologists to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Diabetic Neuropathy
16
DefinitionDiabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by long-standing diabetes mellitus. It results directly from prolonged high blood sugar levels.PathophysiologyThe pathophysiology of diabetic neuropathy involves both metabolic and vascular disturbances triggered by chronic hyperglycemia.Metabolic injury: Elevated glucose levels activate the polyol pathway within nerve cells, leading to the accumulation of sorbitol and fructose. This increases oxidative stress, disrupts normal nerve...
16
01:19Encephalitis l: Introduction
5
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...
5
01:22Complications of Diabetes Mellitus
6
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia due to insulin deficiency, resistance, or both. Prolonged hyperglycemia disrupts metabolic homeostasis and leads to acute and chronic complications.Acute ComplicationsAcute complications result from sudden metabolic imbalance.Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) mainly appears in type 1 diabetes but may also develop in type 2 diabetes, particularly under extreme stress. It arises from severe insulin deficiency,...
6
01:26Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology
9
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...
9
01:19Type I Diabetes III: Clinical Manifestations
9
Type 1 diabetes mellitus typically presents with rapid-onset symptoms due to the body’s inability to utilize glucose in the absence of insulin. Since insulin is required for glucose uptake into cells, its deficiency leads to hyperglycemia and cellular energy deprivation, resulting in characteristic clinical features.Polyuria and PolydipsiaOne of the earliest, most prominent symptoms is polyuria (excessive urination). When blood glucose concentrations rise above the renal threshold, the...
9
01:26Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
6
Type 1 diabetes mellitus arises from an immune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β-cells, resulting in an absolute deficiency of insulin. This process develops in genetically susceptible individuals when autoimmunity, environmental exposures, and immunologic dysregulation converge to trigger a targeted attack on the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. The β-cells are located within the islets of Langerhans and are essential for regulating blood glucose by facilitating cellular...
6