Blindness following a diabetic foot infection: A variant to the 'eye-foot syndrome'?

K. C.J. Yuen, N. R. Baker, A. Reddy, C. Edelsten, G. Rayman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aims: The 'eye-foot syndrome' was initially described by Walsh et al. to highlight the important association of foot lesions in patients with diabetic retinopathy. We present a case of a 58-year-old patient with Type 2 diabetes mellitus who developed blindness following endogenous staphylococcal endophthalmitis from an infected foot ulcer. Results: Our case describes the link between the eye and the foot but is somewhat different to the association as described by Walsh et al. Endogenous endophthalmitis is rare with diabetic patients being especially at risk, and we report the first case of endogenous staphylococcal endophthalmitis related to a diabetic foot lesion. Conclusions: Our case illustrates several important issues in the management of diabetic patients admitted to hospital with infection; the need to thoroughly examine the feet to ascertain any foot lesions and any underlying peripheral vascular disease or peripheral neuropathy, to treat aggressively any infected foot lesions to prevent serious complications of septicaemia and to consider rare conditions like endogenous endophthalmitis in any diabetic patient presenting with acute visual impairment and septicaemia.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)546-549
Number of pages4
JournalDiabetic Medicine
Volume17
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 2000
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Bacteraemia
  • Endogenous staphylococcal endophthalmitis
  • Eye-foot syndrome
  • Infected foot ulcer
  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Internal Medicine
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Endocrinology

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