Diabetic ketoacidosis in toddler with a diaper rash.

The term diabetes does not denote a single disease entity but rather a clinical syndrome. Fundamental to all types of diabetes is impairment of insulin secretion by the pancreatic beta cells. Diabetes is divided into (1) diabetes associated with certain syndromes or conditions, (2) gestational diabetes, (3) non-insulin-dependent diabetes or type 2 diabetes, and (4) insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) or type 1 diabetes. The impairment of insulin secretion seen in diabetes is due to progressive loss of pancreatic beta-cell function secondary to an autoimmune-mediated process. Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder of childhood (2). We present a patient with a common finding in children, diaper candidiasis. Surprisingly, our patient was found to have IDDM and be in diabetic ketoacidosis.