Mbanzulu DC¹*, Iteke M¹, Kakiesse MV¹ and Kasiam LO²

¹Department of Dermatology, Department of Specialties, University Clinics of Kinshasa, University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
²Department of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Clinics of Kinshasa, University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

*Corresponding Author: Mbanzulu DC, Department of Dermatology, Department of Specialties, University Clinics of Kinshasa, University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Received: April 07, 2026; Published: June 19, 2026

Background: Skin lesions are a significant cause of morbidity in people living with diabetes mellitus in Kinshasa hospitals. Their precise identification is the guarantee of adequate care.

Objective: To identify the epidemiological and clinical profile of skin lesions in diabetics in hospitals in Kinshasa.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study of 431 diabetic subjects followed on an outpatient basis and hospitalized in the selected medical facilities in order to represent the private and public sectors.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 60.7±10.6 years, with a sex ratio (F/M) of 1.3. The frequency of skin lesions was 49.6%. Type 2 diabetes (55.9%) was the most common clinical form. Diabetes-associated dermatoses, diabetes-complicating dermatoses, and diabetic treatment-related dermatoses accounted for 2.8%, 78.4%, and 2.3% of cases, respectively. Vitiligo (50%) and lichen planus (50%) were, with equal frequency, the two types of dermatosis associated with diabetes. Athletics football (25.1%), diabetic foot (17.4%), vaginal candidiasis (9.6%) and pruritus (9.6%) were the main types of dermatosis complicating diabetes. Lipodystrophy secondary to insulin injections (60%) was the main mucocutaneous manifestation related to diabetic treatment.

Conclusion: Almost one in two diabetics had skin lesions. A better knowledge of these lesions could help to define practical and effective prevention guides in this population at high risk of developing skin lesions.

Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus; Skin Lesions; Hospital Setting; Kinshasa

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Citation

Citation: Mbanzulu DC.,et al. “Skin Lesions During Diabetes Mellitus: A Descriptive Study in a Hospital Setting in Kinshasa". Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 10.6 (2026): 01-09.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Mbanzulu DC.,et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.