Sever’s Disease: An Underdiagnosed Foot Injury in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract

Sever's disease—also known as calcaneal apophysitis—is a common cause of heel pain in pediatric patients typically aged 7 -14 years old. Sever's disease can be painful and limit a child's function as well as participation in physical activity. Herein, we described a case of delayed presentation of chronic Sever's disease in a child who had been experiencing heel pain for over one year which worsened substantially when the child began to participate in sports. This is important for the emergency medicine physician because Sever's disease represents an underdiagnosed cause of foot and heel pain in the pediatric patient and may be often missed. We describe the diagnosis and treatment options of Sever's disease as well as associated controversies, e.g., whether activity is indeed the cause of Sever's disease and whether imaging is needed for a diagnosis.