Limited Joint Mobility in Type 1 Diabetes: Diabetic Cheiroarthropathy, a Neglected Entity

Musculoskeletal disorders are common in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Among them, diabetic cheiroarthropathy (DCA), more commonly seen in type 1 diabetes, is a late complication that often causes physical and emotional disturbance. DCA, characterized by movement restrictions in the small joints of hands, is usually a clinical diagnosis and bears significance owing to the functional hand disabilities that it causes and its association with various microvascular complications, most importantly retinopathy. A 24-year-old male patient, with type 1 diabetes of 20 years duration, presented to us with difficulties in performing fine motor tasks such as buttoning his shirt and with positive “Namaste” sign and “Table Top” sign. He had reduced sensation on monofilament testing, decreased vibration perception threshold, and a nerve conduction study suggested distal sensory demyelinating and axonal polyneuropathy. He had a restrictive pattern on pulmonary function tests, normal lung parenchyma on high-resolution computed tomography of his thorax, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, proteinuria, vitamin D deficiency, and subclinical hypothyroidism. He was followed closely with tight glycemic control and physiotherapy. In rural setups, DCA can act as a mirror to screen for macrovascular and microvascular complications if not already done routinely or previously. Management includes physiotherapy, glycemic control, patient education, and regular follow-up, with surgical procedures being only the last option.