Podiatric physicians are often presented with dilemmas when diagnosing various dermatological conditions as these conditions may have overlapping symptoms. An accurate diagnosis is dependent on the patient history, physical examination and asking key questions to elicit telling answers from the patient. Accordingly, we have launched a new bimonthly column, “Dermatology Diagnosis,” that will test one’s skills in diagnosing dermatological conditions. Without further delay, let us consider the first case.

   A 26-year-old male presents with a four-day h

   Screws, plates, staples, pins and wires are the hardware that the foot and ankle surgeon uses to fixate fractures, fusions and/or osteotomies. An infection involving hardware may jeopardize the bone healing process and is a precarious situation for both the patient and the surgeon. In some situations, the infection may be easily managed yet it can be limb threatening in other situations. Like any infection, early diagnosis is paramount.

   Hardware is necessary to stabilize osseous segments until one achieves complete bone healing, a process that typically

   Approximately 800,000 new cases of diabetes mellitus are diagnosed each year. The disease affects over 18 million people, approximately 6 percent of the population of the United States.¹ Type 2 diabetes, which is typically not diagnosed in patients under age 45, is overwhelmingly the most prevalent of all types of diabetes as it affects nearly 17 million Americans.¹ Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are often not detected until they are severe or until patients seek treatment for related complications.² Diabetes complications can result in blindness

   For foot and ankle specialists, the diagnosis and complete management of neuropathic arthropathy ranks among the most daunting challenges. Currently, one makes the clinical diagnosis when there is a compilation of clinical and radiographic findings suspicious for the condition. The diagnosis relies upon the histopathology to identify the neuropathic joint destruction.

   Once one makes a diagnosis, either definitively or clinically, the treatment approach remains the discretion of the physician. Those best trained for treating this condition rely on the lit