HYPOGLYCEMIA IX SCLERODERMA

Abstract

During the last few years, I have had the unusual opportunity of observing eight cases of generalized scleroderma at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. One of these, owing to the acute and rapidly progressive form of the disease, terminated fatally and was observed further at autopsy. In spite of the fact that the disease is fairly common and very familiar to the dermatologist, comparatively few studies have been made of the metabolism in scleroderma, and no instances of syncopal attacks associated with hypoglycemia could be found in the literature on the subject. For this reason, it has seemed desirable to report one of the cases in this group in detail and to record in summary observations made in the other seven cases. Though the literature dealing with scleroderma is very extensive, most of the important information on the subject can be obtained in the statistical article of Lewin and Heller,¹