Alopecia Areata Developing in Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, an Autoimmune Disease

The document reports a case of a 53-year-old woman with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) type 2 who developed alopecia areata, a condition characterized by localized hair loss. The patient was diagnosed with NIDDM based on symptoms such as polydipsia, polyphagia, and polyuria, and had high fasting and postprandial blood sugar levels, with a glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) test result of 8.5%. Despite being on oral anti-diabetic medication, she experienced an asymptomatic, well-circumscribed loss of hair on the temporal aspect of her scalp. Endocrine function tests were conducted, and all were within normal ranges except for the pancreatic function test. The development of alopecia areata in the context of NIDDM type 2 suggests autoimmunity as the probable etiology, indicating a possible case of multiple autoimmune syndrome (MAS) or overlap autoimmune syndrome (OLAS). The document emphasizes the rarity of such case reports and suggests that more reporting could be informative for future understanding of the relationship between these conditions.