Natural course of insulin edema

Generalized edema due to water retention is a very rare complication of ins ulin therapy. It affects mainly patients with newly diagnosed diabetes or p atients with chronic hyperglycemia following initiation of insulin therapy. When it occurs, it is treated effectively with diuretics. This case report describes a female patient, who developed severe insulin edema following i nitiation of insulin. Diuretics were not given due to severe side effects, thus the natural outcome of insulin edema was observed. Edema was gradually replaced by fat tissue with persistent weight gain. Physicians treating di abetic patients should be aware of "insulin edema" in the differential diag nosis of weight gain in patients treated with insulin. (J. Endocrinol. Inve st. 23: 187-188, 2000) (C) 2000, Editrice Kurtis.