Superficial fungal infections in patients with diabetes. Is hyperglycemia the only associated factor?

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease that has become increasingly prevalent over the past few years as a result of sedentary lifestyles. Up to 70% of diabetic patients have skin lesions due to deterioration in the skin barrier and changes in the physiological pH of the skin, leading to alterations in both innate and adaptive immunity, which predisposes individuals to bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. This article focuses on the superficial mycoses associated with DM. We conducted a search in the following databases: Pubmed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Using a date range of 15 years from 2010 to 2025 resulted in 178 articles with the following inclusion criteria: written in English, be relevant to the topic at hand, with Open or institutional access. We observe that these infections remain at the level of the stratum corneum and, in exceptional cases, affect the epidermis and dermis. The three most common types are those caused by dermatophytes (tineas), infections by yeast species of Candida (candidiasis), and non-dermatophyte mold (NDMs). DM increases the risk of these infections, highlighting the need for effective prevention.