NEW YORK (Reuters Health) ¿ About two thirds of young patients with type 1 diabetes may have skin disorders, some of which develop early in the course of the disease, according to study results published in the journal Diabetes Care.

While diabetes is known to be associated with a number of skin disorders, "there is a relative paucity of studies looking at the prevalence of skin changes in young patients with type 1 diabetes," Dr. Milos D. Pavlovic, of the Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia, and colleagues write. Skin problems usually develop after diabetes does, but they may also be the first sign or may even precede a diagnosis.

The team compared the presence and frequency of skin manifestations in 212 young patients with type 1 diabetes ranging in age from 2 to 22 years and 196 healthy subjects matched to the diabetics for age and other characteristics who served as controls.