Polycythemia as an Underlying Cause of Digital Gangrene: A Rare and Unusual Case Presentation

J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2023 Sep-Oct;113(5):22-240. doi: 10.7547/22-240.ABSTRACTDigital gangrene is frequently encountered in patients who have diabetes with peripheral vascular compromise, with or without superimposed infection. Preoperative laboratory values and radiographic images are important to determine a proper course of action. Equally important is a thorough history taking to confirm or rule out systemic entities and preexisting conditions that can aggravate or predispose one to the development of digital gangrene. A patient with diabetes presented with a rare and unusual case of digital gangrene, as he clinically had strong pedal pulses. Preoperative workup revealed a suspicion of polycythemia, which was subsequently confirmed. The patient underwent several days of phlebotomy until his hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were brought down to optimized levels before a digital amputation was performed. He went on to heal uneventfully, and he is currently being closely followed by oncology/hematology colleagues with periodic phlebotomy.PMID:37938912 | DOI:10.7547/22-240
Source: Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association - Category: Podiatry Authors: Source Type: research