Cauda equina syndrome resulting in late sequela of calcaneal gait and neuropathic heel ulcer.

The case of a 27-year-old female, 5 years after a motor vehicle accident that resulted in spinal cord damage, is reviewed. She progressed well after her accident for 4 years, at which time she developed a neuropathic heel ulceration, aggravated by her calcaneal gait and pregnancy weight gain. The rarity of such a case involving neuropathic ulceration and calcaneal gait after partial deficit of cauda equina function prompted this article.

Nineteen-year-old female with unilateral ankle pain. What is your diagnosis?

The case history of a 19-year-old female with left ankle pain of 18 months' duration is presented. The reader is encouraged to make his or her own diagnosis after reviewing the history, laboratory values, and imaging. The final diagnosis with a full explanation and differential diagnosis will follow.

Prophylaxis in lower-extremity infectious diseases.

This article discusses a number of different situations in which prophylaxis against infection may be considered by the podiatric physician. The authors cover some of these areas, including wound and laceration prophylaxis, surgical prophylaxis, and prophylaxis against the possibility of developing bacterial endocarditis following a podiatric procedure.

Osteoarticular tuberculosis.

Over the past several years there has been a dramatic rise in the incidence of tuberculosis. Peripheral skeletal tuberculosis is, more often than not, misdiagnosed as osteoarthritis or pyogenic osteomyelitis. Tuberculosis is no longer a "zebra" among differential diagnoses. This article reviews the pathogenesis, along with practical tips for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarticular tuberculosis.

Systemic complications of human immunodeficiency virus infection.

HIV infection causes a wide spectrum of complications affecting all organ systems. These complications may be primary to the direct infection of a specific organ system by HIV or secondary to the immunodeficiency associated with HIV infection. These complications may be specific to certain stages of HIV infection. Selected common complications of HIV infection include pulmonary, neurologic, GI, dermatologic, oral, ocular, endocrine, and hematologic complications.

Nail changes associated with systemic disease and vascular insufficiency.

In some cases, nail changes may not only be the presenting sign of systemic disease, but a sensitive indicator of treatment efficacy as well. Awareness of nail dystrophies and their association with underlying pathology can aid the practitioner in the diagnosis and management of the podiatric patient.

Evaluation of an inductively-coupled plasma with an extended-sleeve torch as an atomization cell for laser-excited fluorescence spectrometry.

An inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) with an extended-sleeve torch has been evaluated as an atomization cell for laser-excited fluorescence spectrometry. Limits of detection for 20 lines are given. The detection power is almost equivalent to that obtained by excitation with a hollow-cathode lamp. Interelement effects and spectral interferences are discussed.