Charcot Foot, a Rare and Severe Complication of Diabetes Mellitus

Charcot foot or Charcot neuropathy is a rare disease found in patients with diabetes mellitus and is characterized by bone damage to the foot leading to deformities, instability, functional impotence and even amputation. The mechanism is still under discussion, without a consensus regarding the pathophysiology of this condition. The treatment is a complex one, non-surgical and surgical, the non-surgical one addressing especially the acute phase of the disease, the surgical one being complex and ranging from osteotomy, debridement, arthrodesis, internal or external fixation or even amputation. A good management of diabetes, of its peripheral complications, an early recognition of the Charcot type foot, prevents the evolution towards this serious condition.