Juvenile diabetes mellitus has been considered to be a state of insulin deficiency frequently characterized by an abrupt onset with hyperglycemia and ketosis requiring the administration of insulin. A clinical status was studied on the eighty-five cases of juvenile diabetes, who were registered to the diabetic clinic of Seoul National University Hospital from January, 1956 to November, 1972 and admitted to Seoul Red Cross Hospital from January, 1973 to July, 1976.
The results were as follows;
1. Juvenile diabetes were found in 85 cases (2.7%) among total 3097 diabetic patients. The female patient was predominated slightly the male by the ratio of 1.2 to 1.0.
2. The highest incidence was seen between 21 years old and 25 years old (48.2%), followed by between 16 and 20 years old (38.8%), and between 11 and 15 years old (13.0%)in that order.
3. Probable precipitating factors of the disease were heredity (43.5%), obesity (4.7%), pregnancy (2.4%), endocrine disorders (2.4%), steroid (l.2%) in order of frequency. But in the great majority, no
precipitating factor could be found (45.9%).
4. The common symptoms at the onset were polydipsia (62.4%), fatigability (50.6%), weight loss (49.4%), polyuria(44.7%), neuralgia (35.3%), polyphagia (31.8%), general weakness (28.2%), thirst (25.9%) and visual disturbance (23.5%).
5. The fasting blood sugar levels before treatment were less than 109 mg/100 ml in 15.3% of the patients, 110 to 129 mg/100 ml in 3.5%, 130 to 149 mg/100 ml in 3.5%, 150 to 219 mg/100 ml in 17.7%, 220 to 299 mg/100 ml in 27.1%, 300 to 499 mg/100 ml in 28.2% and more than 500 mg/100 ml in 4.7%.
6. Associated complications were infection (61.1% of the patients), albuminuria (23.5%), retinopathy (12.9%), neuropathy (11.8%) and hypertension (3. 5%). The diabetic coma was encountered in 8.2%.
7. On 53 cases of the 85 cases, adequate follow up of the result of the therapy were possible. Among them, 24 cases (45.3%) acquired excellent controls,
6 cases (11.3%) good controls, 6 cases (11.3%) fair controls, 14 cases (26.4%) poor controls but 3 cases (5.7%) were failures.
8. The therapeutic effect was slightly better in the 3 rd decade juvenile diabetics than 2nd decade.
9. Generally, there was no significant correlation between initial fasting blood sugar level and therapeutic effect. But the result of therapy was better with lower initial fasting blood sugar levels in 3rd decade juvenile diabetics in contrast to 2nd decade.
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