Xanthoma in a Child as the First Presentation of Type One Diabetes Mellitus

We are reporting a case of a 12-year-old girl with xanthoma, as a very rare presentation of new onset type one diabetes in children. Xanthoma is a papular skin rash that is associated with severe hypertriglyceridemia, in our patient this was secondary to undiagnosed type one diabetes mellitus. The rash was misdiagnosed as viral illness, till she presented one month later with diabetic ketoacidosis. Xanthoma and hypertriglyceridemia completely resolved after treatment with insulin. Physicians should be aware of the cutaneous signs of systemic illnesses in order to avoid delay in the diagnosis and management; which can be detrimental. This case is the first report of a child under the age of 13 years with xanthoma, as the first presentation of new onset type one diabetes mellitus.