Recurrence of the acute Charcot foot in diabetes

Abstract

Background: The acute Charcot foot is thought to occur in people who have a number of predisposing factors, of which distal neuropathy is the most important. But while occurrence in the contralateral foot is not infrequent, recurrence in the same foot seems to be very rare.

Case report: A case is described in which discrete episodes of inflammation of the midfoot occurred in the same foot over a period of 14 years, and were attributed to acute Charcot neuroarthropathy (Charcot foot). There was coincidental evidence of osteomyelitis of the 4(th) toe but there was no suspicion that the inflammatory episodes of the midfoot were the result of bone infection and they settled without treatment with antibiotics.

Conclusion: This case had clinically diagnosed recurrences of inflammation and destruction typical of the acute Charcot foot over an extended period, and this is most unusual. The implications of the rarity of such recurrences are discussed.