Myopathies related to diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases

Although it has long been known that both large and small blood vessels are abnormal in the tissues of diabetic patients, recent work has emphasized the widening of capillary basement membranes in diabetic tissues. Current views of the nature of this lesion and its relationship to diabetes are discussed and diabetic muscle and nerve lesions are emphasized. Other metabolic diseases with significant muscle pathology are types II, III and VII glycogen storage diseases. Myopathy with abnormal mitochondria is reviewed.