The diabetic foot

Abstract

Involvement of the foot in diabetes mellitus is a common and often disabling problem. Often the most difficult problem involves accurately distinguishing between the changes of neuroarthropathy and those of superimposed bone and soft tissue infection. Conventional radiographs as well as bone scintigrahpy play the major role in demonstrating the presence, and differentiating among these abnormalities. Promising early results have also been obtained using computed tomography and more recently magnetic resonance imaging, although the ultimate role of these methods awaits further experience.