Treatment of Insulin-induced Lipoatrophy

Abstract

Twenty children with insulin-induced lipoatrophy were successfully treated by injecting the insulin into the lipoatrophic area. In 10 children insulin therapy was replaced by monocomponent insulins, while the other 10 children were treated with the insulins they previously used. It is concluded that both monocomponent and less purified insulins are suitable for treating the complication of insulin therapy when the insulin is injected into the lipoatrophic area.

Human Insulin–Induced Lipoatrophy

“…efore the development of purified insulin in the 1970s, lipoatrophy was a common complication of insulin therapy (1,2). With the arrival of human insulin, lipoatrophy has decreased dramatically, becoming a rare problem in clinical practice.…”

Highly purified insulins

“…These are not harmful although one cannot but ponder on whether absorption is normal from such abnormal tissue. Many reports have appeared of the filling in of these patches if highly purified insulins are injected into the hollows [35] although the impact of this is lessened by the report that use of conventional insulin in the same way can equally well effect a cure [36]. On the other hand, lipoatrophy appears to be less common in general in patients treated only with the new insulins [37].…”