Differentiating Diabetes mellitus type 1 from other diseases

Diabetes mellitus Main page
Patient Information Type 1 Type 2
Overview
Classification Diabetes mellitus type 1 Diabetes mellitus type 2 Gestational diabetes
Differential Diagnosis
Complications
Screening
Diagnosis
Prevention

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Type 1 DM must be differentiated from type 2 DM, MODY-DM, psychogenic polydipsia, diabetes insipidus, transient hyperglycemia, steroid therapy, renal tubular acidosis type-1, glucagonoma, cushing's syndrome, and hypothyroidism.

Differentiating Diabetes mellitus type 1 from other Diseases

Differential diagnosis of type 1 DM, include:

• Type 2 DM
• MODY-DM
• Psychogenic polydipsia
• Diabetes insipidus
• Transient hyperglycemia
• Steroid therapy
• Renal tubular acidosis type-1
• Glucagonoma
• Cushing's syndrome
• Hypothyroidism
• Wolfram syndrome
• Alstrom syndrome

Disease	History and symptoms					Laboratory findings								Additional findings
	Polyuria	Polydipsia	Polyphagia	Weight loss	Weight gain	Serum glucose	Urinary Glucose	Urine PH	Serum Sodium	Urinary Glucose	24 hrs cortisol level	C-peptide level	Serum glucagon
Type 1 Diabetes mellitus	✔	✔	✔	✔	-	↑	↑	Normal	Normal	N/↑	Normal	↓	Normal	Auto antibodies present (Anti GAD-65 and anti insulin anti bodies)
Type 2 Diabetes mellitus	✔	✔	✔	✔	-	↑	↑	Normal	Normal	↑	Normal	Normal	↑	Acanthosis nigricans
MODY	✔	✔	✔	-	✔	↑	↑	Normal	Normal	↑	Normal	Normal	N	-
Psychogenic polydipsia	✔	✔	-	-	-	Normal	Normal	Normal	↓	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	-
Diabetes insipidus	✔	✔	-	-	-	Normal	Normal	Normal	↑	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	-
Transient hyperglycemia	-	-	-	-	-	↑	↑	Normal	Normal	↑	Normal	Normal	N/↑	In hospitalized patients especially in ICU and CCU
Steroid therapy	✔	-	-	-	✔	↑	↑	Normal	Normal	↑	↑	N/↑	N/↑	Acanthosis nigricans,
RTA 1	-	-	-	✔	-	Normal	Normal	↑	Normal	↑	Normal	Normal	Normal	Hypokalemia, nephrolithiasis
Glucagonoma	-	-	-	-	-	↑	Normal	Normal	Normal	-	Normal	Normal	↑	Necrolytic migratory erythema
Cushing syndrome	-	-	-	-	✔	↑	-	Normal	↓	N/↑	↑	Normal	Normal	Moon face, obesity, buffalo hump, easy bruisibility