[Biopsy of the external ear in diabetology]

In the introductory part the authors pointed to the need for the application of the morphologic method which would make possible the estimation of the existence and degree of miocroangiopathic changes. Microangiopathic changes were observed on the material obtained by skin biopsy of the auricle and the reason for selecting this localization was explained. It was performed in the representative sample consisting of 441 patients with diabetes mellitus and 92 persons with disturbed glucose tolerance and the objective indicators for small blood vessel changes were confirmed by the analysis of the material obtained by the method described. The possibility of the quantification of the degree of these changes was at the same time presented and illustrated. Finally, the authors came to the conclusion that reproducibility of these quantifications was satisfactory. Thereby, they were of the opinion that in their further work they could compare described and quantificated changes in respect to individual vital characteristics of the investigated group, the existence of factors considered risky for the appearance of diabetes mellitus complications and the degree of their development.