Fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus-like presentation in a Hispanic woman in the United States.

AIM: To report the first case of fulminant-like type 1 diabetes mellitus in a Hispanic woman from the United States.

METHOD: The clinical presentation and laboratory data is presented of a Hispanic woman that was diagnosed with fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus with a review of the literature.

RESULTS

An 18-year-old female presented with 1 week of polydyspea and polyuria. The patient was seen by her primary care doctor and found to have an elevated blood glucose. On presentation to the hospital, she was found to be in diabetic ketoacidosis. The laboratory analysis showed a C-peptide of 0.6 ng/mL and a glycohaemoglobin A(1c) of 6%. The patient had antibodies positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase. The patient was diagnosed with fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus and was discharged in stable condition on basal/bolus subcutaneous insulin.

CONCLUSION

Fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus is a recently described presentation of diabetes mellitus that has been predominately reported in Japan and other Asian countries. The classical presentation includes rapid onset on ketosis within 1 week of symptoms of hyperglycaemia, with a near-normal glycohaemoglobin and absence of C-peptide. With the majority of case being reported from Asia, it has been hypothesized that there is a genetic determent that predisposes Asian individuals to develop fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus. The addition of the case to the medical literature expands the focus of fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus beyond the Asian population and supports the need that further research.