TY - JOUR T1 - Acroosteolysis in Diabetes Mellitus JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 2364 LP - 2365 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.120662 VL - 39 IS - 12 AU - ALAN N. BAER AU - ZAKI ABOU ZAHR AU - SABIHA KHAN AU - MICHAEL POLYDEFKIS Y1 - 2012/12/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/39/12/2364.abstract N2 - To the Editor:Acroosteolysis is a rare destructive process of the distal phalanges of the fingers and toes, leading to digital foreshortening. It can occur as a complication of systemic rheumatic diseases, thermal injury, metabolic disorders, and certain occupational exposures, but may also be familial in origin1. Acroosteolysis has not been recognized as a complication of diabetes mellitus. We describe a patient with diabetes mellitus who developed acroosteolysis of her fingers, most likely as a result of diabetic neuropathy.A 45-year-old woman had poorly controlled type I diabetes mellitus for 16 years, complicated by retinopathy, nephropathy, and autonomic dysfunction including gastroparesis and orthostatic hypotension. She was deaf and communicated with sign language. She began to note dryness, induration, and superficial ulceration of the skin of her distal fingers at age 43 years. Painless foreshortening of her little fingers and numbness of her hands and feet began shortly after. She denied Raynaud’s phenomenon, psoriasis, or a history of thermal trauma or exposure to toxins. On examination, she had sclerosis, … Address correspondence to Dr. A.N. Baer, 5200 Eastern Avenue, Suite 4000, Mason F. Lord Bldg., Center Tower, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. E-mail: alanbaer{at}jhmi.edu ER -