Diabetic Foot: Diagnostic Tests

Obligatory medical device diagnostics.

  • Arterial occlusion pressure over the dorsalis pedis artery/posterior tibial artery.
  • Ankle-brachial index (ABI; examination method that can describe the risk of cardiovascular disease) – The test is considered highly specific and sensitive for detecting peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAVD).
  • Doppler sonography (ultrasound examination that can dynamically visualize fluid flows (especially blood flow)).
  • Duplex sonography (ultrasound examination: combination of a sonographic sectional image (B-scan) and the Doppler sonography method; imaging method of medicine, which can dynamically represent fluid flows (especially blood flow)).

Optional medical device diagnostics – depending on the results of the medical history, physical examination, laboratory diagnostics and obligatory medical device diagnostics – for differential diagnostic clarification.

  • Intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) – for imaging of the arteries.
  • Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) as an alternative to DSA.

Further notes

  • Temperature foot mat (Remote Temperature Monitoring System; Podimetrics, Inc., Somerville, MA; records temperature of both soles and sends results directly by telemetry; at a temperature difference of 2.2 °C, the system identifies 97% of ulcers, with an average latency of 37 days) – for prophylaxis of plantar recurrent ulcers (recurrence of ulcers on the sole of the foot).