The diabetic foot is one of the commonest complications of diabetes, causing significant lowering of the quality of life of vulnerable patients and leading to drain in health resources. In the present work, we retrospectively studied 234 diabetic patients referred to the diabetic foot clinic. Clinical and laboratory tests and evaluation of foot using the 10g Semmes-Weinstein monofilament, basic neurologic hammer, vascular Doppler scan and plantar foot pressure were examined. Patients were sorted according to age, sex and duration of diabetes with mean disease duration of 10 years. We found that at the very first examination, more than 30% of the patients presented with reduced protective sensation, callosities and dermatological lesions, all of them known risk factors for the development of foot ulcer. It was also noted a lack of understanding of the disease by the patients. In summary, our results demonstrate a high prevalence of alterations and the authors draw the attention to the clinical assessment, focusing the patient's foot, in order to prevent future complications.
Diabetes; Ulcer; Diabetic foot; Neuropathy; Microangiopathy
