Diabetic neuropathic foot ulcer: successful treatment by low-intensity laser therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of low-intensity laser irradiation for the induction of wound healing of a diabetic neuropathic foot ulcer.


METHODS
We report a case of a man with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, sensory neuropathy, macroangiopathy and microangiopathy who had been suffering from an ulcer of his first left toe accompanied by osteomyelitis for 6 weeks.


RESULTS
After a total of 16 sessions of low-intensity laser therapy using a 670-nm diode laser administered within a 4-week period the ulcer healed completely. During a follow-up period of 9 months, there was no recurrence of the ulcer even though the patient's metabolic condition remained unstable.


CONCLUSIONS
Although laser therapy was not applied as a monotherapy, the present observation suggests that it might constitute a useful side-effect-free alternative treatment modality for the induction of wound healing of neuropathic ulcers in diabetic patients. Therefore large properly controlled randomized studies seem justified.
Schindl
A
A
Division of Special and Environmental Dermatology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria. Andreas.Schindl@akh-wien.ac.at
Schindl
M
M
Pernerstorfer-Schön
H
H
Kerschan
K
K
Knobler
R
R
Schindl
L
L
D000368:Aged; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000528:radiation effects