Abstract
Prayer marks (PMs) are commonly occurring dermatologic changes in muslims who pray and develop over a long period of time as a consequence of repeated and extended pressure. PMs need careful examination especially for patients with diabetes, who are more vulnerable due to predisposing factors such as venous insufficiency and peripheral neuropathy. A total of 166 patients with diabetes (150 males, 16 females) and 65 normal subjects from Bangladesh were examined for the appearance of PMs. Twenty-eight patients (16.9 %) and one normal subject (1.5 %) had PMs. The marks were not itchy or painful and they were observed on the dorsal aspect of the left foot, which was attributed to a more typical prayer position that placed pressure on the left foot. PMs are not a rare clinical entity among muslim patients with diabetes and most clinicians should be aware of it as it can be the predominant cause of an ulcer.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the Greek Delegation of the humanitarian organization ‘Doctors of the World’.
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Papadakis, G., Zampelis, T., Michalopoulou, M. et al. Prayer Marks in Immigrants from Bangladesh with Diabetes Who Live in Greece. J Immigrant Minority Health 18, 274–276 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0184-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0184-2