Diabetes Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Diabetes, including details on insulin, type i, type ii, diet, treatment, prevention.

Evaluating diabetic foot infection with magnetic resonance imaging: Kuwait experience.

Al-Khawari HA, Al-Saeed OM, Jumaa TH, Chishti F

Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait. drhana@yahoo.com

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to depict and characterize the changes seen in diabetic foot infections. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: MRI studies of 29 diabetic patients with suspected foot infection were evaluated. Sagittal and transverse T1-weighted images before and after intravenous gadolinium, and transverse fat-suppressed T2-weighted images were performed on the affected regions. The MRI findings were compared to subsequent clinical and/or histopathological findings. RESULTS: The MRI findings were: osteomyelitis in 14 patients, abscess in 5, cellulitis in 26, tenosynovitis in 4 and neuropathic joint in 8. Three cases were normal. Pathological confirmations were obtained in 19 patients. MRI and histological diagnosis were in concordance in 79% of osteomyelitis cases, 100% of neuropathy cases and 100% of cellulitis cases. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI in diagnosing osteomyelitis were 100 and 63%, respectively. The positive predictive and negative predictive values, and the accuracy were 79, 100 and 84%, respectively. MRI helped surgical planning for limb salvage procedures in 6 of the osteomyelitis cases and in a cellulitis case. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that MRI is a sensitive and accurate imaging modality for the evaluation of foot infections in diabetic patients and for planning proper treatment.

Published 2 May 2005 in Med Princ Pract, 14(3): 165-72.
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