Causes of Foot conditions
List of causes of Foot conditions
Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions
(see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Foot conditions)
that could possibly cause Foot conditions includes:
Foot conditions Causes: Book Excerpts
Foot conditions as a complication of other conditions:
Other conditions that might have
Foot conditions as a complication may,
potentially, be an underlying cause of Foot conditions.
Our database lists the following as having
Foot conditions as a complication of that condition:
Foot conditions as a symptom:
Conditions listing Foot conditions
as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Foot conditions.
Our database lists the following as having
Foot conditions as a symptom of that condition:
Related information on causes of Foot conditions:
As with all medical conditions,
there may be many causal factors.
Further relevant information on causes of Foot conditions may be found in:
Causes of Foot conditions: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the causes of Foot conditions.
Hand and Foot Rashes:
Differential Diagnosis
(In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)
- Dyshidrotic eczema (pompholyx)
–Very common idiopathic skin disease
–Affects one or both hands and/or feet in the
thenar eminence, palms and/or soles, and sides of fingers and toes
–Causes itching, scaling, and erythema, and minute vesicles and painful fissures
–Usually chronic and intermittent, and often exquisitely pruritic
- Irritant or allergic hand eczema
–Very common
–Difficult to distinguish from dyshidrosis because both are vesicular and very itchy
–Flares occur during work/hobbies, with improvement on vacation when away from the irritant or allergen
- Tinea manus (hand) and tinea pedis (foot)
–Presents as itchy, diffuse, light scale, and/or maceration; prominent on palmar, plantar (moccasin distribution), and interdigital surfaces
–Erythema is rarely present
–Often “two hands and one foot” or “two feet and one hand” are affected
- Scabies
–Presents as short (a few millimeters), linear burrows and vesicles on the hands and feet (web spaces), belt region, and/or intertriginous spaces
–Intensely pruritic, especially at night
–Often many members of the household unit affected
–Definitive diagnosis made by visualizing the scabies mite in a skin scraping
-
Psoriasis
–Often affects the hands and/or feet
–Well-demarcated, erythematous plaques
with adherent scale, or can present as a focal or diffuse pustular eruption
–Look for associated nail dystrophy or other skin involvement
Reiter's disease
–Uveitis, urethritis, and arthritis
-
Pityriasis rubra pilaris
–Well-demarcated bright salmon or red plaques on the palms or soles
-
Keratoderma
–Focal or diffuse thickening of the skin of the palms or soles
Erythema multiforme
Infection (secondary syphilis, varicella meningococcemia)
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: In a Page: Signs and Symptoms, 2004
Hand & Foot Rashes:
Differential Diagnosis
(In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms)
Infectious
-
Enterovirus infection (hand-foot-and-mouth disease, Coxsakie virus, other nonpolio enteroviruses)
-
Kawasaki disease (one of the five criteria)
-
Scabies
-
Tinea
-
Candidal skin infection
-
Ricketsial rash: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), murine typhus
-
Mononucleosis (EBV)
-
Measles: Atypical forms start on hands/feet
-
Scarlet fever, post-streptococcal infection desquamation rash
-
Infectious endocarditis: Janeway lesions, Osler nodules
-
Spirochete infection: Secondary syphilis, Lyme disease (acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans)
-
Congenital toxoplasmosis
-
Rat-bite fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis,
Spirillum minus)
Immune-mediated
-
Urticaria: Hands and feet involved in 85% of the cases
-
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
-
Systemic lupus erythematosus
-
Raynaud phenomenon (acrocyanosis)
-
Acute graft-vs-host disease
Skin disorders
-
Atopic dermatitis (infantile)
-
Dyshydrotic eczema, pompholyx
-
Chronic allergic contact dermatitis
-
Psoriasis
-
Lichen simplex
-
Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome
-
Olmsted syndrome
-
Acrodermatitis enteropathica (zinc deficiency) can be presenting sign of cystic fibrosis
-
Toxic shock syndrome: Desquamation during the recovery phase; major criteria for staphyloccocal TSS
-
Drugs: Ampicillin, especially in patients with infectious mononucleosis
-
Chronic liver disease: Cirrhosis, hepatoma
-
Metabolic disease: Gangliosidosis
-
Malignancy: Acute leukemia, lymphoma
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Clubfoot:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
A combination of genetic and environmental factors in utero appears to cause clubfoot. Heredity is a definite factor in some cases, although the mechanism of transmission is undetermined. In children without a family history of clubfoot, this anomaly seems linked to arrested development during the 9th and 10th weeks of embryonic life, when the feet are formed. Researchers also suspect muscle abnormalities, leading to variations in length and tendon insertions, as possible causes of clubfoot.
Clubfoot, which has an incidence of approximately 1 per 1,000 live births, usually occurs bilaterally and is twice as common in boys. It may be associated with other birth defects, such as myelomeningocele, spina bifida, and arthrogryposis.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Footdrop:
Medical causes
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Guillain-Barré syndrome
In this disorder, unilateral or bilateral footdrop and steppage gait may result from profound muscle weakness, which usually begins in the legs and extends to the arms and face within 72 hours. It can progress to total motor paralysis with respiratory failure. The patient may also develop transient paresthesia, hypoactive DTRs, hypernasality, dysphagia, diaphoresis, tachycardia, orthostatic hypotension, and incontinence.
Herniated lumbar disk
Footdrop and steppage gait may result from leg muscle weakness and atrophy. However, the most pronounced symptom of a herniated lumbar disk is severe low back pain that may radiate to the buttocks, legs, and feet, usually unilaterally. Sciatic pain follows, often with muscle spasms and sensorimotor loss. Paresthesia, hypoactive DTRs, and fasciculations may also occur.
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Footdrop may develop suddenly or slowly in MS, producing steppage gait; like other signs and symptoms of MS, these signs are prone to periodic exacerbation and remission. Muscle weakness, usually affecting the legs, ranges from minor fatigability to paraparesis with urinary urgency and constipation. Related findings include facial pain, visual disturbances, paresthesia, lack of coordination, and loss of vibration and position sensation in the ankle and toes.
Myasthenia gravis
Footdrop and related limb weakness are common manifestations of this disorder, which is commonly heralded by weak eye closure, ptosis, and diplopia. Skeletal muscle weakness and fatigability may progress to paralysis. Typically, muscle function worsens throughout the day and with exercise, and improves with rest. Involvement of respiratory muscles can cause breathing difficulty.
Peroneal muscle atrophy
Bilateral footdrop, ankle instability, and steppage gait occur early in this chronic disorder along with paresthesia, aching, cramping, coldness, swelling, and cyanosis in the feet and legs. Foot, peroneal, and ankle dorsiflexor muscles are affected first. As the disease progresses, all leg muscles become weak and atrophic, and DTRs are hypoactive or absent. Later, atrophy and sensory losses spread to the hands and forearms.
Peroneal nerve trauma
Footdrop may occur suddenly after this type of trauma, but it’s usually temporary, resolving with the release of peroneal nerve compression. It’s associated with ipsilateral steppage gait, muscle weakness, and sensory loss over the lateral surface of the calf and foot.
Poliomyelitis
Unilateral or bilateral footdrop may develop after the acute stage of poliomyelitis, producing a steppage gait. This sign is usually preceded by fever, asymmetrical muscle weakness, coarse fasciculations, paresthesia, hypoactive or absent DTRs, and permanent muscle paralysis and atrophy. Dysphagia, urine retention, and respiratory difficulty may also occur.
Polyneuropathy
Footdrop and steppage gait may accompany muscle weakness, which usually affects distal areas of the extremities and can progress to flaccid paralysis. Muscle atrophy and hypoactive or absent DTRs may occur along with paresthesia, hyperesthesia, or anesthesia and loss of vibration sensation in the hands and feet. Cutaneous manifestations include glossy red skin and anhidrosis.
Spinal cord trauma
Unilateral or bilateral footdrop can occur suddenly and may be permanent. In the ambulatory patient, it also produces steppage gait. Other findings vary and may include neck and back pain; paresthesia, sensory loss, and muscle weakness, atrophy, or paralysis distal to the injury; asymmetrical or absent DTRs; and fecal and urinary incontinence.
Stroke
Unilateral footdrop is a common sign of stroke along with arm and leg weakness or paralysis. Other effects vary according to the site and severity of vascular damage. Sensorimotor disturbances may include paresthesia, dysphagia, visual field deficits, diplopia, and bowel and bladder dysfunction. Personality changes, amnesia, aphasia, dysarthria, and decreased level of consciousness may also occur.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Ankle/Foot Pain:
Differential Overview
(Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)
Ankle Pain
❑ Ankle sprain
❑ Fibular fracture
❑ Achilles tendinitis
❑ Acute gout
Foot Pain
❑ Plantar fasciitis
❑ Acute gout
❑ Hallux valgus (bunion)
❑ Sciatica
❑ Metatarsalgia
❑ Metatarsal stress fracture
❑ Tibialis anterior tendinitis
❑ Pes planus
❑ Calcaneal fracture
❑ Interdigital neuroma
❑ Posterior tibial nerve entrapment
❑ Compartment syndrome
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis, 2007
Clubfoot:
Causes
(Handbook of Diseases)
A combination of genetic and environmental factors in utero appears to cause clubfoot. Heredity is a definite factor in some cases, although the mechanism of transmission is undetermined. If a child is born with clubfoot, his sibling has a 1 in 35 chance of being born with the same anomaly. Children of a parent with clubfoot have 1 chance in 10.
In children without a family history of clubfoot, this anomaly seems linked to arrested development during the 9th and 10th weeks of embryonic life, when the feet are formed. Researchers also suspect muscle abnormalities, leading to variations in length and tendon insertions, as possible causes of clubfoot.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Footdrop:
Medical causes
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Unilateral or bilateral footdrop and steppage gait may result from profound muscle weakness caused by Guillain-Barré syndrome. This weakness usually begins in the legs and extends to the arms and face within 72 hours. It can progress to total motor paralysis with respiratory failure. The patient may also develop transient paresthesia, hypoactive DTRs, hypernasality, dysphagia, diaphoresis, tachycardia, orthostatic hypotension, and incontinence.
Herniated lumbar disk
In a patient with a herniated lumbar disk, footdrop and steppage gait may result from leg muscle weakness and atrophy. However, the most pronounced symptom is severe low back pain that may radiate to the buttocks, legs, and feet, usually unilaterally. Sciatic pain follows, typically with muscle spasms and sensorimotor loss. Paresthesia, hypoactive DTRs, and fasciculations may occur.
Multiple sclerosis
With multiple sclerosis, footdrop may develop suddenly or slowly, producing steppage gait; it typically fluctuates in severity with this disorder’s cycle of periodic exacerbation and remission. Muscle weakness, usually affecting the legs, ranges from minor fatigability to paraparesis with urinary urgency and constipation. Related findings include facial pain, visual disturbances, paresthesia, lack of coordination, and loss of vibration and position sensation in the ankle and toes.
Myasthenia gravis
Footdrop and related limb weakness are common manifestations of myasthenia gravis, which is commonly heralded by weak eye closure, ptosis, and diplopia. Skeletal muscle weakness and fatigability may progress to paralysis. Typically, muscle function worsens through the day and with exercise, and improves with rest. Involvement of respiratory muscles can cause breathing difficulty.
Peroneal muscle atrophy
Bilateral footdrop, ankle instability, and steppage gait occur early with this chronic disorder. Foot, peroneal, and ankle dorsiflexor muscles are affected first. Other early signs and symptoms include paresthesia, aching, and cramping in the feet and legs, along with coldness, swelling, and cyanosis. As the disease progresses, all leg muscles become weak and atrophic, with hypoactive or absent DTRs. Later, atrophy and sensory losses spread to the hands and forearms.
Peroneal nerve trauma
With peroneal nerve trauma, footdrop may occur suddenly, but it’s usually temporary, resolving with the release of peroneal nerve compression. It’s associated with ipsilateral steppage gait, muscle weakness, and sensory loss over the lateral surface of the calf and foot.
Polyneuropathy
With polyneuropathy, footdrop and steppage gait may accompany muscle weakness, which usually affects distal areas of the extremities and can progress to flaccid paralysis. Muscle atrophy and hypoactive or absent DTRs may occur, along with paresthesia, hyperesthesia, or anesthesia, and loss of vibration sensation in the hands and feet. Cutaneous manifestations include glossy red skin and anhidrosis.
Spinal cord trauma
Unilateral or bilateral footdrop can occur suddenly and may be permanent in patients with spinal cord trauma. In the ambulatory patient, it also produces steppage gait. Other findings vary and may include neck and back pain; paresthesia, sensory loss, and muscle weakness, atrophy, or paralysis distal to the injury; asymmetrical or absent DTRs; and fecal and urinary incontinence.
Stroke
Unilateral footdrop is a common sign of stroke, along with arm and leg weakness or paralysis. Other effects vary according to the site and severity of vascular damage. Sensorimotor disturbances may include paresthesia, dysphagia, visual field deficits, diplopia, and bowel and bladder dysfunction. Personality changes, amnesia, aphasia, dysarthria, and decreased level of consciousness may also occur.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
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