Keywords:
Musculoskeletal joint, Musculoskeletal bone, Musculoskeletal soft tissue, MR, Plain radiographic studies, Diagnostic procedure, Staging, Imaging sequences, Infection, Inflammation, Metabolic disorders
Authors:
C. Loupatatzis1, M. C. Berli2, C. W. A. Pfirrmann3, A. Rosskopf2; 1CH, 2Zurich/CH, 3Zürich/CH
DOI:
10.1594/essr2018/P-0018
Conclusion
The Charcot foot is a rare disease,
associated with polyneuropathy,
in industrialized countries most commonly seen in the long-term diabetic population.
The Radiologist plays an important role in the management of this disease.
Therefore,
it is vital to be familiar with the typical imaging characteristics of the Charcot foot and to consider this diagnosis in a proper clinical setting.
Recognizing this disease in early stages prevents a delayed onset of an appropriate therapy (generally off-loading therapy) and helps minimizing the disability of these patients.
Commonly used classification systems for Charcot foot are based on radiographic findings using either the location or the degree of bone changes to categorize this disease.
Although radiographs are important to assess the position of the bones to each other in general,
and in particular under load,
MRI is the method of choice not only in establishing an early diagnosis,
but also in monitoring the course of the disease activity and in diagnosing complications like osteomyelitis; therefore,
a new widely accepted MRI-based classification system is needed.