LESIONS OF THE EXTREMITIES ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES MELLITUS

It is a truism that persons with diabetes mellitus are prone to develop infection and that the feet are frequently involved. It is also well known that gangrene of the extremities is a common complication of this

disease. These two factors, infection and arterial occlusion, produce in the extremity, and particularly in the lower extremity, a variety of lesions that it is important to recognize from the standpoints of prognosis and treatment. A series of fifty-two cases of diabetes mellitus with associated lesions of the extremities has been observed in the University Hospital during the last four years. The cases were unselected and represent 8 per cent, of all cases of diabetes mellitus seen during this time. This incidence is probably higher than would be found in ordinary practice. It is our purpose in this communication to analyze and classify the cases in this series and to discuss the diagnosis,