Moisture status of the skin of the feet assessed by the visual test neuropad correlates with foot ulceration in diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between the moisture status of the skin of the feet with foot ulceration in subjects with diabetes.


METHODS
A total of 379 subjects with diabetes were examined. Assessment of peripheral neuropathy was based on neuropathy symptom score, neuropathy disability score, vibration perception threshold, and the 10-g monofilament perception. The moisture status of the skin of the feet was assessed using the visual test Neuropad.


RESULTS
Patients with foot ulceration had more severe peripheral neuropathy and more often an abnormal Neuropad response. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the odds of foot ulceration increased with measures of neuropathy but increased also with an abnormal Neuropad response.


CONCLUSIONS
An abnormal Neuropad response correlates with foot ulceration in subjects with diabetes. This finding, if confirmed prospectively, suggests that the Neuropad test may be included in the screening tests for the prediction of foot ulceration.
First Department of Propaedeutic Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. ntentol@med.uoa.gr
Nicholas
N
Tentolouris
Christina
C
Voulgari
Stavros
S
Liatis
Alexander
A
Kokkinos
Ioanna
I
Eleftheriadou
Konstantinos
K
Makrilakis
Kyriakoula
K
Marinou
Nicholas
N
Katsilambros
D000368:Aged; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013546:Sweating; D014110:Touch; D014732:Vibration; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
D014867:Water