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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
PubMed

Insights

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.
Keywords:
Diabetes complicationsListeriaWest Nile virusblastomycosiscentral nervous system infectionsepidural abscessherpes zostermeningitismucormycosisotitis externapyomyositisspinal

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