|
 BOSTON (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- A callus or corn on your foot is a nuisance for anyone. But for a diabetic, they can easily turn to an ulcer and can even result in amputation. Doctors are now studying new methods to identify patients at risk for these dangerous wounds.
William Malcolm was dealt an unexpected hand. "Cribbage and life run hand in hand because you have to deal with the hand you are dealt," he says.
At age 40, Malcolm was diagnosed with diabetes. "It's just an insidious disease. It attacks every part of your body," he says. One major complication is a foot ulcer that can go undetected until it's too late. Malcolm developed an ulcer on his toe and had to have it amputated.
 The only way to detect ulcers is to see them -- until now. Doctors at Harvard are studying two new tests that identify which patients are likely to have ulcers. The first uses MRI technology to measure muscle energy in the foot.
"The idea is if the muscles are not working properly, then these patients will be at risk for not healing from their ulcers," says Aristidis Veves, M.D., research director of Joslin-Beth Israel Deaconess Foot Center in Boston.
Another method uses hyperspectral imaging. Doctors use images of a patient's foot to measure blood flow and early changes in oxygen. Patients with less oxygen in their skin may have a higher risk of having an ulcer that won't heal.
Podiatrist John Giurini, D.M.P., also of Beth Israel Deaconess, says, "If we can determine early on a patient's ability to heal an ulceration, then we can steer them in the right direction to get that ulcer healed."
 That's good news for patients like Malcolm. "It doesn't have to be a train wreck," he says. "You can get the help you need. Early detection means prevention." And he hopes that prevention will pay off.
Doctors say these tests are still in their investigational stages and recommend that diabetics get treated immediately if they get a foot ulcer. Foot ulcers result in 80,000 lower leg amputations each year in the United States.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Bonnie Prescot
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
330 Brookline Ave.
GZ-6
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 667-7306
bprescot@bidmc.harvard.edu
http://www.bidmc.harvard.edu
|
.gif)
