Medical Imaging in Differentiating the Diabetic Charcot Foot from Osteomyelitis

Daniel J Short; Thomas Zgonis

doi:10.1016/j.cpm.2016.07.002

Medical Imaging in Differentiating the Diabetic Charcot Foot from Osteomyelitis

Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 2017 Jan;34(1):9-14. doi: 10.1016/j.cpm.2016.07.002. Epub 2016 Sep 3.

Authors

Daniel J Short¹, Thomas Zgonis²

Affiliations

¹ Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery, Division of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MSC 7776, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
² Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery, Division of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MSC 7776, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA. Electronic address: zgonis@uthscsa.edu.

PMID: 27865318
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpm.2016.07.002

Abstract

Diabetic Charcot neuroarthropathy (DCN) poses a great challenge to diagnose in the early stages and when plain radiographs do not depict any initial signs of osseous fragmentation or dislocation in a setting of a high clinical index of suspicion. Medical imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and advanced bone scintigraphy, has its own unique clinical indications when treating the DCN with or without concomitant osteomyelitis. This article reviews different clinical case scenarios for choosing the most accurate medical imaging in differentiating DCN from osteomyelitis.

Keywords: Bone scan; Charcot neuroarthropathy; Computed tomography; Diabetic Charcot foot; Diabetic neuropathy; MRI; Medical imaging; Osteomyelitis.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Arthropathy, Neurogenic / diagnostic imaging*
Diabetic Foot / diagnostic imaging*
Diagnosis, Differential
Foot Bones
Foot Joints
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Osteomyelitis / diagnostic imaging*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed