Obesity and the Skin

A.R. Shipman; G.W.M. Millington

The British Journal of Dermatology. 2011;165(4):743-750.

Conclusions

As the incidence of obesity continues to increase, all areas of medicine will encounter more patients with obesity-related complications. The dermatologist will be faced with trying to treat leg ulcers and infections due to lymphoedema, diabetes and venous disease. Intertrigo and fungal infections may present more frequently to clinics and cases of psoriasis may increase both in frequency and in difficulty in treating. Dermatological opinion may be sought in trying to reduce the appearance of striae or cellulite for cosmetic purposes. As far as the rarer dermatological conditions go, MM may become more frequent, but the dermatologist will also be expected to identify the rarer diseases associated with obesity. The public health message of weight loss may also become a more important part of a dermatologist's role than at present.

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Funding sources
None.

Conflicts of interest

None declared.

Cite this: Obesity and the Skin - Medscape - Oct 01, 2011.

Table 1. Skin diseases associated with diabetes mellitus
Pebble fingers
Acanthosis nigricans
Infections
Diabetic rubeosis
Diabetic bullae
Oral leucoplakia
Neuropathic ulcers
Pigmentation in haemochromatosis
Vitiligo
Porphyria cutanea tarda
Scleroderma
Granuloma annulare
Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum
Atherosclerosis, arterial ulcers and gangrene
Diabetic dermopathy (pigmented pretibial patches)
Genital pruritus
Acne keloidalis nuchae
Increased skin thickness and cheiroarthropathy
Dupuytren's contracture
Oral lichen planus
Acquired perforation dermatoses
Reactions to oral hypoglycaemics and insulin

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