Magnetic resonance imaging in the management of diabetic foot infection.

A prospective study was carried out of 22 patients admitted with 25 diabetic foot infections. All had cellulitis, 12 had discharging ulcers and eight had digital gangrene. In one case magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was unhelpful owing to patient movement. Thirteen scans suggested deep-seated infection, including abscess (ten), osteomyelitis (seven) and ankle effusion (one). Overall, imaging provided a specificity of 77 per cent, a positive predictive value of 77 per cent, a sensitivity of 91 per cent and a negative predictive value of 91 per cent. MRI is valuable in determining the presence and extent of infection, which allows appropriate planning of surgical intervention.