Charcot foot in a diabetic patient – clinical and imaging considerations Editorial comment on: A. Konarzewska, A. Korzon-Burakowska, L. Rzepecka-Wejs, I. Sudoł-Szopińska, E. Szurowska, M. Studniarek: Diabetic foot syndrome: Charcot arthropathy or osteomyelitis? Part I: Clinical picture and radiography

One of the common and serious complications of diabetes mellitus is Charcot neuropathy of the foot, the result of decreased sensation and ability to feel temperature and pain combined with repetitive mechanical trauma(1). The Lisfranc joint is the most common site for this arthropathy, although any articulation in the foot and ankle can be affected(2). The hallmark of this deformity is midfoot collapse, known as a “rocker-bottom” foot. The diagnosis of this condition has been challenging even for the most experienced practitioners, including surgeons and radiologists, particularly when the Charcot foot is complicated by osteomyelitis and septic arthritis(3). Radiologic imaging, in addition to clinical examination and laboratory data, plays an important role in differential diagnosis. In their innovative and comprehensive article entitled “Diabetic foot syndrome: Charcot arthropathy or osteomyelitis? Part I: Clinical picture and radiography” by Aleksandra Konarzewska, Anna Korzon-Burakowska, Ludomira Rzepecka-Wejs, Iwona Sudoł-Szopińska, Edyta Szurowska, and Michał Studniarek, the authors offer a global approach to this dilemma, discussing in details the clinical findings and conventional radiography in differential diagnosis of diabetic Charcot foot complicated by osteomyelitis(4).