Peripheral Insulin Edema and Pericardial Effusion in a 12-Year-Old Newly Diagnosed Girl with Type 1 Diabetes

Introduction: Insulin induced edema (IIE) is a rare condition, usually found in newly diagnosed diabetes patients, either after insulin treatment initiation or after dose increment. It is a self-limited process, rarely associated with serosal effusions. Teenage girls with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) are most commonly affected.

Patient and Methods: A 12-year-old girl was diagnosed with ketoacidosis (DKA). Seven days after initiation of the insulin treatment, at a stable total daily dose of insulin (TDDI) of 0.55 IU/kg, she came with two kilograms weight gain in only two days and edema of the feet and calves. Ultrasound of the heart found a 7 mm pericardial effusion. The diagnostic workout included clinical examination, biochemical, hormonal, allergen analyses and imaging which excluded other known causes of swelling. Conclusions: We describe an adolescent girl with newly diagnosed T1DM and a rare association of peripheral insulin-induced edema and pericardial effusion. Short-term diuretic treatment and salt restriction resolved this rare complication of insulin treatment.