Hand symptoms associated with diabetes mellitus. An investigation of 765 patients based on a questionnaire.

A number of 738 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and 371 matched controls answered a questionnaire constructed to detect rheumatic hand symptoms. The SM patients showed significantly more palmar thickening, indicating Dupuytren's contracture and flexor tenosynovitis, and a significantly lower frequency of neurological sensations. There was no statistically significant difference in the estimated frequency of rheumatoid arthritis between the total population and our DM population.