Charcot foot is a rare and severe complication of DM neuropathy. Patients with diabetic Charcot foot could progress to chronic ulcer or amputation in severe condition. However, there were few studies addressing the risk factors of amputation in Charcot foot. This study aimed to compare the risks of chronic ulcer or amputation in diabetic Charcot foot. A total of 25 patients with Charcot foot were enrolled from 2010 to 2019 in Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital. We analyzed the correlation between underlying diseases with chronic ulcer or amputation. The average of our patients was 55±13.3 years old with 34.4±31.1 months following up. In patients below 50 years old with obesity (BMI>24), higher prevalence of Charcot foot was noted compared with those with BMI<24 (p<0.05). The Charcot foot patients have a 7-times higher risk of amputation compared with patients with chronic ulcer (p<0.05), 2.6-times higher risk compared with patients with peripheral arterial occlusion diseases (p<0.05), and 5-times higher risk with patients with osteomyelitis (p<0.05). A Higher risk of amputation was also noted in Charcot foot patients with more than 2 times debridement (OR:5.05, p<0.05). A higher prevalence of osteomyelitis was noted in patients of Charcot foot with chronic ulcer than those without chronic ulcer (p<0.05). Patients with diabetic Charcot foot have a higher risk of amputation compared with patients with chronic ulcer or peripheral arterial occlusion diseases. Osteomyelitis should be aware in chronic ulcer patients with Charcot foot. It’s important to control the ulceration and infection progression in this group of patients. Overweight is an important risk factor for Charcot foot in young patients.
Y. Tseng: None. L. Chen: None.
