This communication is based on the blood sugar observations in 205 patients with skin manifestations. The dermatoses studied included acne vulgaris, various types of eczema and eczema seborrheicum, furunculosis, urticaria, erythema multiforme, pruritus and rosacea.
A review of the literature discloses an abundance of reports on hyperglycemia, but only a limited number dealing with disorders of the skin. The observations reported are rather conflicting, ranging from normal to extremely high sugar levels.
In 1913, Johnston1 expressed the belief that eczema was not concerned with the metabolism of the carbohydrates or fats. In 1915, Pels2 reported the blood sugar observations in fifty cases, including the following disorders: acne vulgaris, psoriasis, eczema of various types, urticaria, erythema multiforme, furunculosis, hyperhidrosis, dermatitis herpetiformis, alopecia areata, rosacea, ecthyma and pemphigus foliaceus. The variation in his observations ranged from 0.07 to 0.156 per cent of blood sugar, averaging 0.107 per cent. His report