International Medical Case Reports Journal (May 2022)
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a 7 Year Old Girl
Abstract
Basma Haris,1 Samuel Stafrace,2 Khalid Hussain1 1Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar; 2Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, Doha, QatarCorrespondence: Khalid Hussain, Department of Pediatric Medicine, Sidra Medicine, OPC, C6-340|PO Box 26999, Al Luqta Street, Doha, Qatar, Tel +974-4003-7608 ; +974-30322007, Email [email protected]: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease due to insulin resistance resulting in hyperglycemia. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing worldwide in the pediatric population. In the pediatric population, type 2 diabetes typically develops around adolescence; however, patients with a younger age of onset are now being reported. Earlier onset of type 2 diabetes is associated with a more aggressive course of disease and earlier comorbidities, although data on this is limited. We report a child from Qatar with type 2 diabetes that was diagnosed at 7 years of age, along obesity with a BMI of 26.8 kg/m2. Elevated liver enzymes, c-peptide, and insulin levels were observed along with fatty liver on an ultrasound. The child had severe acanthosis nigricans with increased appetite. There was a positive family history for type 2 diabetes. Testing for type 1 diabetes autoantibodies, monogenic obesity, and monogenic diabetes screening was negative. This is the second youngest child reported to have type 2 diabetes. Accurate diagnosis, early reporting, and long-term follow-up of such cases is necessary to bring more attention to the subgroup of type 2 diabetes in very young patients.Keywords: pediatric diabetes, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, early-onset diabetes mellitus
