Insulin Edema in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Case Report Study

Edema is a rare complication induced by insulin therapy, which is mostly developed after initiation or intensification of insulin treatment in diabetic patients. Edema can either be localized or generalized. Our patient was a 34-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes. She was under treatment with oral agents medication, but recently insulin therapy was initiated for her due to inability to control her hyperglycemia and development of diabetic ketoacidosis. The patient referred while suffering from bilateral lower extremity edema. During follow-up, her edema resolved spontaneously without any specific treatments. In this patient, the diagnosis of edema was based on ruling out other causes, along with more accurate blood glucose control during diabetic ketoacidosis process and spontaneous recovery. Based on our finding, it can be concluded that insulin-induced edema is not a worrisome problem and in most cases, its symptoms resolve without treatment and through restricting the consumption of water and salt.