[acb-diabetics] crippling condition often misdiagnosed

[Nancy Matulis]

Excellent article. I never knew it was a form of osteoporosis. Thanks,Nancy

On Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 9:28 PM, Patricia LaFrance-Wolf <
plawolf at earthlink.net> wrote:

>  ** **
> *Crippling Condition Associated with Diabetes Often Misdiagnosed and
> Misunderstood*
>
> 1-Sep-2011****
>
> Robert Winkler says he limped around on his painful left foot for six
> months, suffering unnecessarily from a misdiagnosis by a physician who
> didn't know about the symptoms and treatments for Charcot foot, a form of
> localized osteoporosis linked to diabetes that causes the bones to soften
> and break, often resulting in amputation.****
>
> When his primary care physician finally agreed to Mr. Winkler's request for
> an x-ray, they discovered the metatarsal bones in Mr. Winkler's left foot
> were all broken—a common symptom of this serious and potentially
> limb-threatening lower-extremity complication.****
>
> A new article in the September issue of the journal, Diabetes Care,
> describes Charcot foot and its treatment with a goal of educating medical
> professionals about this painful inflammation of the foot. The article is
> the product of an international task force of experts convened by the
> American Diabetes Association and the American Podiatric Medical Association
> in January to summarize available evidence on the pathophysiology, natural
> history, presentations and treatment recommendations for Charcot foot
> syndrome.****
>
> "Even though it was first described in 1883, the diagnosis and successful
> treatment of Charcot foot continue to be a challenge because this syndrome
> is not widely known or understood by the broader medical profession," said
> Lee C. Rogers, D.P.M., co-director of the Amputation Prevention Center at
> Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, CA, and lead author of the
> Diabetes Care article. "Charcot foot is now considered to be an inflammatory
> syndrome most often seen in patients with diabetes which can be successfully
> treated in its early stages."****
>
> The article describes Charcot foot as a condition affecting the bones,
> joints and soft tissues of the foot and ankle, which is characterized by
> inflammation in the earliest phase and is associated with diabetes and
> neuropathy. The report finds offloading, or removing weight from the foot,
> is the most important initial treatment recommendation. Surgery can be
> helpful in early stages involving acute fractures of the foot or ankle or in
> later stages when offloading is ineffective, according to the article.****
>
> In Mr. Winkler's case, he was first diagnosed with Charcot foot in 2004 and
> had already undergone one surgery that relieved the problem for several
> years. By 2010, though, he was facing the potential amputation of the foot
> because of complications associated with Charcot foot syndrome.****
>
> His podiatrist referred him to Dr. Rogers at Valley Presbyterian Hospital's
> Amputation Prevention Center, an integrated limb salvage center that is one
> of only a handful in the nation. Since its December 2009 opening, the
> Amputation Prevention Center's specialized multidisciplinary team of highly
> skilled professionals has treated patients from all over the country and
> around the world with leading-edge technology, achieving a limb salvage rate
> of 96 percent.****
>
> George Andros, M.D., the Center's Medical Director, performed vascular
> surgery to restore circulation to Mr. Winkler's left foot so that it would
> heal. Then, Dr. Rogers performed surgery to rebuild the bones in Mr.
> Winkler's foot. Dr. Rogers also implanted a bone stimulator that acts like a
> pacemaker for bones which encourages Mr. Winkler's body to rebuild and fuse
> the broken bones in his left foot. As a result, Mr. Winkler is expected to
> be able to recover the use of his left foot.****
>
> "I'm very pleased because I had gone to another doctor and he wanted to
> amputate my foot," Mr. Winkler said. "When I found Dr. Rogers and Valley
> Presbyterian Hospital's Amputation Prevention Center, it's like I found a
> blessing and an angel in disguise. I have tears running down my face as I
> describe to you how I will be able to get up out of my chair and walk
> because of the care I received at Valley Presbyterian Hospital. All the
> people there are superb. They treat me like a king."****
>
> Source: Valley Presbyterian Hospital****
>
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