The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.
MINI REVIEW article
Front. Surg.
Sec. Orthopedic Surgery
Volume 11 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2024.1396933
Neuropathic Arthropathy of the Hip and foot as a Sequela of Undiagnosed Tertiary Syphilis: a case report
Provisionally accepted- 960th Hospital of the PLA, Jinan, China
Neuroarthropathy, also known as Charcot's joint, is a progressively degenerative joint disease that poses diagnostic challenges. It manifests as bone destruction in joints with compromised nociceptive and proprioceptive innervation. Historically, syphilitic neuroarthropathy was the predominant cause of joint arthropathy. However, in contemporary contexts, diabetes mellitus has emerged as the primary contributor, particularly affecting the foot and ankle due to peripheral neuropathy in poorlycontrolled diabetes patients. It is crucial to recognize that syphilis remains relevant in the etiology of neuropathic arthropathy. In cases presenting with rapid joint destruction resembling Charcot arthropathy without an apparent cause, syphilitic neuroarthropathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis. In this report, we present a rare case involving neuropathic arthropathy affecting the hip and foot, attributable to previously undiagnosed tertiary syphilis. The diagnosis was significantly delayed due to the oversight of considering syphilis as the underlying cause. Furthermore, we explore various surgical options available for treating Charcot arthropathy.
Keywords: Charcot arthropathy, Neuropathic arthropathy, Syphilis, Arthroplasty, Arthrodesis
Received: 04 Apr 2024; Accepted: 12 Jul 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Bao, Xiuchun, Wang, Feng and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Bo Wu, 960th Hospital of the PLA, Jinan, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Feng Wang