Search Results
Background: We sought to determine the frequency of toenail onychomycosis in diabetic patients, to identify the causative agents, and to evaluate the epidemiologic risk factors.
Methods: Data regarding patients’ diabetic characteristics were recorded by the attending internal medicine clinician. Clinical examinations of patients’ toenails were performed by a dermatologist, and specimens were collected from the nails to establish the onycomycotic abnormality. All of the specimens were analyzed by direct microscopy and culture.
Results: Of 321 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, clinical onychomycosis was diagnosed in 162; 41 of those diagnoses were confirmed mycologically. Of the isolated fungi, 23 were yeasts and 18 were dermatophytes. Significant correlations were found between the frequency of onychomycosis and retinopathy, neuropathy, obesity, family history, and duration of diabetes. However, no correlation was found with sex, age, educational level, occupation, area of residence, levels of hemoglobin A1c and fasting blood glucose, and nephropathy. The most frequently isolated agents from clinical specimens were yeasts.
Conclusions: Long-term control of glycemia to prevent chronic complications and obesity and to promote education about the importance of foot and nail care should be essential components in preventing onychomycosis and its potential complications, such as secondary foot lesions, in patients with diabetes mellitus. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 101(1): 49–54, 2011)
An Overlooked Deformity in Patients with Hallux Valgus
Tailor's Bunion
Background
Tailor's bunion is a deformity of the fifth toe, and its concomitance with hallux valgus (HV) is defined as splayfoot deformity. Treatment is focused on the HV deformity in splayfoot, and the tailor's bunion deformity can be overlooked. The frequency of HV concomitant with tailor's bunion in splayfoot has not been reported in the literature.
Methods
A retrospective evaluation was performed to detect the existence of tailor's bunion deformity in 203 patients (376 feet) treated for HV. Standing anteroposterior and lateral radiographs were used in the radiologic evaluation. Fallat's classification was used to grade tailor's bunion. Surgery for HV was applied to 86 patients (136 feet), and conservative treatment was applied to 117 patients (240 feet). Mean follow-up was 28.3 months (range, 18–42 months). Clinical evaluation was by American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score.
Results
Of the 376 feet with HV, 28 (7.4%) had tailor's bunion, of which 17 (60.7%) were overlooked according to the surgery criteria for tailor's bunion. In the HV surgery group, there were no differences in preoperative mean AOFAS scores according to concurrence with tailor's bunion, but postoperative AOFAS scores were low in patients with accompanying tailor's bunion (P < .001). In the conservative group, no differences were determined in mean AOFAS scores according to tailor's bunion.
Conclusions
Tailor's bunion deformity sometimes goes undiagnosed in patients with treated HV. This deformity must be kept in mind for patients with HV to improve clinical results.
