Search Results
Diabetic Limb Salvage
A Team Approach at a Teaching Institution
In this retrospective review, 19 diabetic patients with significant lower-extremity pathology were assessed to determine the success of limb salvage in cases of varying complexity. The patients were either scheduled or at risk for below-the-knee amputation before intervention. After the limb-salvage procedure, patients were followed for 4 months to 9 years. Eighteen patients went on to have successful procedures, avoiding below-the-knee amputation; one patient had an above-the-knee amputation. The results demonstrate the benefits of an aggressive team approach with limb salvage as a goal. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 92(8): 457-462, 2002)
There are few documented reports of arteriovenous malformations in the extremities, and even fewer specifically in the foot. Most of the documented cases in the foot present surgical treatments, and there is limited information on the nonsurgical approach. A brief review of the surgical approach to arteriovenous malformations in the foot and hand is presented first, followed by a case report of the nonsurgical treatment of an arteriovenous malformation in the foot, which was initially diagnosed incorrectly.
Classic Kaposi’s sarcoma is one form of Kaposi’s sarcoma. It is usually first seen in the skin of the lower extremities, where it is frequently misdiagnosed as a bruise. As time progresses, the lesions increase in size, number, and color. Early diagnosis is paramount to decrease metastasis to other organ systems such as the lungs, kidneys, and liver. The podiatric physician must take a detailed history, follow the course of the illness, and be aware that definitive diagnosis is made by a skin biopsy. This article provides a case history of Kaposi’s sarcoma and discusses diagnosis and treatment of this disease. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 95(6): 586–588, 2005)
Background: Transmetatarsal amputations are limb salvage surgical procedures that preserve limb length and functional ankle joints. Indications for transmetatarsal amputations include forefoot trauma, infection, and ischemia. Prior research demonstrates patients who undergo transmetatarsal amputations have a lower 2-year mortality rate compared to those who undergo more proximal amputations. The aim of this study was to determine whether primary closure of a transmetatarsal amputation is a superior treatment compared to secondary healing of a transmetatarsal amputation for forefoot abnormality of infection, gangrene, or chronic ulceration.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients aged 18 years or older requiring a transmetatarsal amputation because of forefoot abnormality between September of 2011 and December of 2019. Foot and ankle surgeons performed transmetatarsal amputations. Outcome variables measured included healing time of transmetatarsal amputation site, recurrent infection, recurrent gangrene, and the need for revision surgery or higher level amputations.
Results: Of the original 112 patients, 76 met the inclusion criteria; 47 of these had primary closure of transmetatarsal amputation and 29 of these had an open transmetatarsal amputation performed. Primarily closed transmetatarsal amputations resulted in a significantly greater overall healing rate of 78.8% (37 of 47) compared to open transmetatarsal amputations, with a healing rate of 37.9% (11 of 29) (P < .01). Closed transmetatarsal amputations were statistically significantly less likely than open transmetatarsal amputations to have recurrent gangrene, require revision pedal operations, or progress to higher level amputations.
Conclusions: Our research demonstrated that primary closure of transmetatarsal amputations is a superior treatment compared with secondary healing of transmetatarsal amputations in specific cases of infection, dry gangrene, or chronically nonhealing ulcerations.
Angioleiomyoma of the Plantar Foot
A Case Report
A 68-year-old man with a slow-growing lesion in the distal medial band of the plantar fascia of the left foot is presented. Clinical photographs, ultrasound and magnetic resonance images, histologic results, and immunochemical staining are disclosed. This case study presentation aims to highlight the importance of including angioleiomyoma in the differential diagnosis of plantar foot soft-tissue masses.
Angioleiomyomas are benign soft-tissue tumors that present painfully and are more commonly found in the extremities. Although benign soft-tissue tumors do not require excision, the clinician may not always know the type of tumor, and patient symptomatology may require removal of the offending body. In this article, we present our case findings of a 45-year-old man presenting with a subcutaneous angioleiomyoma subcalcis.
Angiokeratoma Presenting as Plantar Verruca
A Case Study
One of the more frequent pathologic conditions that podiatric physicians are confronted with is plantar verrucae. Plantar verrucae have been studied extensively in terms of morphological features and incidence in the population at large and in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Solitary angiokeratomas can be morphologically similar to plantar verrucae, presenting as hyperkeratotic pedunculated lesions. We present a unique case study of a 40-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus with a painful solitary angiokeratoma masquerading as plantar verrucae. The lesion demonstrated clinical signs consistent with those highlighted in the literature for verrucae, namely, showing as red and black lacunae, punctuated hyperkeratotic epidermis. We propose that solitary angiokeratomas should be an important part of a podiatric physician’s differential diagnosis in the lower extremity owing to the similarity of morphological features with plantar verrucae. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 100(6): 502–504, 2010)
