Lacking the ‘protective label’ of diabetes: Phenytoin-induced distal symmetrical peripheral neuropathy. A clinical case report

This report documents an unusual case of distal symmetrical peripheral neuropathy (DSPN) in an otherwise healthy patient without diabetes mellitus (DM) presenting to a podiatric wound care clinic. The development of gas gangrene coupled with Charcot neuroarthropathic changes ultimately resulted in a potentially life-saving transmetatarsal (TMT) amputation. Causation of, or at least a contributor to, the DSPN was likely phenytoin usage for epileptic seizures. Long-term use of phenytoin can lead to axonal shrinkage and random clusters of nerve demyelination [1].
Source: Journal of Tissue Viability - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Case report Source Type: research