LIPODYSTROPHY: ATROPHY AND TUMEFACTION OF SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE DUE TO INSULIN INJECTIONS

Atrophy of the subcutaneous tissues producing depressed areas on the skin as a result of insulin injections was first reported in 1926 by Barborka. 1 He noted two instances of such atrophy and recommended massage of the tissue after insulin therapy and a variation of the site of injection. He found no evidence of inflammation and no muscular weakness or evidence of nerve injury. In the same year, Depisch 2 recorded five cases of atrophy due to insulin and stated that the onset might vary from a few months up to two years after the start of the treatment. He noted some impairment in sensations over the affected area. In 1927, Mentzer and DuBray 3 reported an instance of this condition. Sections of the area did not indicate any inflammatory changes. Davidson, 4 in the same year, observed atrophy in a woman four months after the beginning of insulin therapy.