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Cataracts as the presenting symptom of type 1 diabetes mellitus
Felicia Cooper1, Jamie Ikeda2, Mauri Carakushansky1
1Department of Endocrinology, Nemours Children's Health, Orlando, FL 32827-7884, USA.
Insights
A 17-year-old boy developed type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) presenting with blurry vision and fatigue. He later experienced pseudophakic cystic macular edema post-cataract surgery, a rare complication in pediatric DM.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Endocrinology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) typically presents in children with symptoms like polyuria and weight loss.
- Diabetic ketoacidosis can manifest with abdominal pain, vomiting, and Kussmaul breathing.
- Cataract surgery in pediatric patients with DM is uncommon.
Abstract:
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) usually presents in the pediatric population as weight loss, polyuria, polydipsia, and, occasionally, with abdominal pain, vomiting, and Kussmaul breathing consistent with diabetic ketoacidosis. In this case report, we describe a 17-year-old boy presenting with fatigue and bilateral blurry vision, found to have hyperglycemia and subsequent DM on a laboratory draw before cataract surgery commenced. This patient also had an added complication of pseudophakic cystic macular edema of both eyes after uncomplicated cataract removal, which has not been described in previous case reports of pediatric patients with DM.
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