Carbohydrate tolerance in patients with granuloma annulare*

SUMMARY The carbohydrate tolerance was routinely investigated in fifty-two patients with granuloma annulare. Thirteen of the fifty-two cases presented the generalized type and the remaining thirty-nine had the localized form of the disorder. The results obtained in these patients were compared with those revealed in two control groups of patients. The same number of patients of the same sex, age and ethnic group with skin diseases other than granuloma annulare were similarly investigated as were 386 patients with conjunctival micro-aneurysms. Some degree of carbohydrate intolerance was detected in 36.5% of patients with both types of granuloma annulare. However, the incidence of this disturbance in patients with the localized form was no greater than in those with other skin diseases. The important finding in this study was the 76.9% incidence of carbohydrate intolerance in generalized granuloma annulare. This finding was supported by the histopathological changes in the small cutaneous blood vessels of these patients.