The Importance of Early Diagnosis of Septic Arthritis of the Ankle Joint in a Diabetic Patient: A Case Report

Septic arthritis of the ankle joint is very rare and presents an orthopaedic emergency that can in some cases lead to disability or even death.Here we present a case of a 65-year-old Caucasian male with diabetes mellitus type II, arterial hypertension, peripheral artery disease, hyperlipemia and stage II.chronic kidney disease who developed systemic signs of infection with fever and chills.Magnetic resonance imaging showed a septic tenosynovitis of both flexor hallucis longus and flexor digitorum longus with acquired complications of septic arthritis of the ankle joint and an abscess of the medial malleolus region.The patient was primarily treated with antibiotics, without improvements.Due to a delayed diagnosis and developed complications he later required treatment with multiple invasive surgical procedures.The outcome of the treatment was a successfully eradicated infection and a return of walking ability.Considering the scarcity of reports on management of septic arthritis of the ankle in diabetic patients, this case presents a valuable contribution, highlighting the importance of vigilance in early diagnosis and treatment of such infections for improving patient outcomes.