Scleredema of Buschke associated with difficult-to-control type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Scleredema of Buschke (SB) is a rare disorder of connective tissue characterized by diffuse non-pitting induration of the skin, mainly on the cervical, deltoid and dorsal regions. It is a cutaneous mucinosis of unknown etiology and is associated with bacterial or viral infections, hematological disorders and diabetes mellitus. Histopathological examination shows thickened dermis with wide collagen bundles separated by gaps that correspond to mucopolysaccharide deposits, visualized using special staining. Several treatments are reported in the literature without well-established results. We report a case of SB in a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

A Case of Scleredema Diabeticorum: Could Pentoxifylline Be a Therapeutic Option?

“…Treatment of skin changes caused by collagen degradation in the SAB is complicated except the type-1 in which scleroderma is reversed spontaneously within years (2). Skin hardening and tightening is progressive in type-2 and type-3 SAB: There are many modalities tried in treatment SAB such as phototherapy, cortico steroids, methotrexate with some success (3)(4)(5). Pentoxifylline is a phosphodiesterase four inhibitor molecule which has antifibrotic action through inhibition of collagen synthesis.…”