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Complications after body piercing in patient suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Antoszewski B, Jedrzejczak M, Kruk-Jeromin J

Plastic Surgery Clinic, Institute of Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.

Background Body piercing has been a well-known practice of body ornamentation. Nowadays, it is believed to involve from 6.5% to 50% of the population. Complications after body piercing procedures are variable. Objective The aim of this report is to present complications after body piercing in a patient suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus. Methods A twenty-four-year-old woman came to our plastic surgery outpatient clinic complaining of penetration of earring clips to her earlobes. This caused inflammation and continuous decubitus ulcers on the posterior surfaces of both earlobes. Conclusion On the basis of observations of the described patient, it can be concluded that unregulated diabetes is a contraindication to body piercing procedures.

Published 4 January 2008 in Int J Dermatol, 46(12): 1250-2.
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