Painful foot drop: a presentation of diabetic muscle infarction

Background

Macro- and microvascular complications of diabetes are varied and can present with a range of clinical signs and symptoms. Diabetic muscle infarction is a rare vascular complication of diabetes that is often not recognized.

Case report

We report a case of diabetic muscle infarction, where a 65-year-old woman with Type 2 diabetes presented with acute-onset severe pain in her right leg and foot drop.

Conclusions

Her foot drop was a result of a concomitant compression nerve injury as a consequence of the muscle oedema following infarction. Our case highlights the importance of early recognition and investigation of atypical presentations of vascular complications of diabetes.