Review

Authors: James D Goff, Robert Crawford

Plantar fasciitis, a self-limiting condition, is a common cause of heel pain in adults. It affects more than 1 million persons per year, and two-thirds of patients with plantar fasciitis will seek care from their family physician. Plantar fasciitis affects sedentary and athletic populations. Obesity, excessive foot pronation, excessive running, and prolonged standing are risk factors for developing plantar fasciitis. Diagnosis is primarily based on history and physical examination. Patients may present with heel pain with their first steps in the morning or after prolonged sitting, and sharp pain with palpation of the medial plantar calcaneal region. Discomfort in the proximal plantar fascia can be elicited by passive ankle/first toe dorsiflexion. Diagnostic imaging is rarely needed for the initial diagnosis of plantar fasciitis. Use of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging is reserved for recalcitrant cases or to rule out other heel pathology; findings of increased plantar fascia thickness and abnormal tissue signal the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis. Conservative treatments help with the disabling pain. Initially, patient-directed treatments consisting of rest, activity modification, ice massage, oral analgesics, and stretching techniques can be tried for several weeks. If heel pain persists, then physician-prescribed treatments such as physical therapy modalities, foot orthotics, night splinting, and corticosteroid injections should be considered. Ninety percent of patients will improve with these conservative techniques. Patients with chronic recalcitrant plantar fasciitis lasting six months or longer can consider extracorporeal shock wave therapy or plantar fasciotomy.

Topics: Diagnosis, Differential; Diagnostic Imaging; Fasciitis, Plantar; Humans; Medical History Taking; Pain Measurement; Physical Examination; Risk Factors

PubMed: 21916393
DOI: No ID Found

Review

Authors: Leon L Chen, Brian Fasolka, Caitlin Treacy...

Necrotizing soft-tissue infections (NSTIs) are rare but rapidly progressive, life-threatening bacterial infections with high morbidity and mortality. NSTIs include necrotizing forms of fasciitis, myositis, and cellulitis. This article focuses on necrotizing fasciitis (NF) and discusses NF classifications, clinical features, diagnostic approaches, evidence-based treatments, and nursing interventions.

Topics: Evidence-Based Medicine; Fasciitis, Necrotizing; Humans; Nursing Diagnosis

PubMed: 32826674
DOI: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000694752.85118.62

Authors: Thomas Trojian, Alicia K Tucker

Plantar fasciitis is a common problem that one in 10 people will experience in their lifetime. Plantar fasciopathy is an appropriate descriptor because the condition is not inflammatory. Risk factors include limited ankle dorsiflexion, increased body mass index, and standing for prolonged periods of time. Plantar fasciitis is common in runners but can also affect sedentary people. With proper treatment, 80% of patients with plantar fasciitis improve within 12 months. Plantar fasciitis is predominantly a clinical diagnosis. Symptoms are stabbing, nonradiating pain first thing in the morning in the proximal medioplantar surface of the foot; the pain becomes worse at the end of the day. Physical examination findings are often limited to tenderness to palpation of the proximal plantar fascial insertion at the anteromedial calcaneus. Ultrasonography is a reasonable and inexpensive diagnostic tool for patients with pain that persists beyond three months despite treatment. Treatment should start with stretching of the plantar fascia, ice massage, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Many standard treatments such as night splints and orthoses have not shown benefit over placebo. Recalcitrant plantar fasciitis can be treated with injections, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, or surgical procedures, although evidence is lacking. Endoscopic fasciotomy may be required in patients who continue to have pain that limits activity and function despite exhausting nonoperative treatment options.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Curriculum; Education, Medical, Continuing; Fasciitis, Plantar; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Risk Factors

PubMed: 31194492
DOI: No ID Found

Review

Authors: Diana Mazilu, Laura Alina Boltașiu Tătaru, Denise-Ani Mardale...

Eosinophilic fasciitis (EF), defined as diffuse fasciitis with eosinophilia by Shulman in 1974, is a disease with unknown etiology and whose pathogenesis is still being researched. The diagnosis is based on the clinical aspects (skin induration with an "orange peel" appearance), the lab results (eosinophilia, increased inflammatory markers), the skin biopsy with the pathognomonic histopathological result, as well as the typical MRI changes. The treatment includes glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs. Due to severe refractory cases, the treatment remains a challenge. EF is still a disease with potential for further research.

Topics: Humans; Fasciitis; Eosinophilia; Skin; Immunosuppressive Agents

PubMed: 36768300
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031982

Review

Authors: Sajad Ahmad Salati

Necrotizing fasciitis is an uncommon, rapidly progressive, often aggressive bacterial infection that causes extensive necrosis of the subcutaneous tissue and fascia, relatively sparing the muscle and skin tissues. Rapid diagnosis of the disease is mandatory because the delay in initiation of aggressive treatment negatively influences the outcome. Specific clinical signs may not be always present, which makes an accurate and timely diagnosis difficult. Based on the literature, this article presents a review of the historical background, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical findings, diagnostic strategies, treatment and prognosis of the disease.

Topics: Humans; Fasciitis, Necrotizing

PubMed: 36805313
DOI: 10.5604/01.3001.0015.7676

Review

Authors: Hironobu Ihn

Eosinophilic fasciitis is a disease originally proposed as "diffuse fasciitis with eosinophilia" by Shulman in 1974. The patients with this disease often have history of strenuous exercise or labor a few days to 1-2 weeks before the onset. The chief symptoms are symmetrical, full-circumference swelling and plate-like hardness of the distal limbs. This is accompanied by redness and pain in the early stages, with many cases exhibiting systemic symptoms such as fever or generalized fatigue. The lesions have been observed extending to the proximal limbs, though never on the face or fingers. En bloc biopsies from the skin to the fascia show marked fascial thickening and inflammatory cell infiltration by the lymphocytes and plasma cells. Eosinophilic infiltration is useful for the diagnosis but is only seen in the early stages of the disease. Recently, "Diagnostic criteria, severity classification, and clinical guidelines for eosinophilic fasciitis" were published. This review article discusses about eosinophilic faciitis in detail, from its pathophysiology to the treatment.

Topics: Biopsy; Cytokines; Disease Management; Disease Susceptibility; Eosinophilia; Fasciitis; Humans; Phenotype; Skin

PubMed: 30910631
DOI: 10.1016/j.alit.2019.03.001

Review

Authors: Ang Tee Lim, Choon How How, Benedict Tan...

Plantar fasciitis is a very common cause of inferior heel pain that can be triggered and aggravated by prolonged standing, walking, running and obesity, among other factors. Treatments are largely noninvasive and efficacious. Supportive treatments, including the plantar fascia-specific stretch, calf stretching, appropriate orthotics and night dorsiflexion splinting, can alleviate plantar fascia pain. While local injections of corticosteroids can help with pain relief, the effects are short-lived and must be weighed against the risk of fat pad atrophy and plantar fascia rupture. Ultrasonography-guided focal extracorporeal shock wave therapy is useful for patients with chronic plantar fasciitis and referrals for this treatment can be made in recalcitrant cases. Activity modification to decrease cyclical repetitive loading of the plantar fascia should be advised during the treatment phase regardless of the chosen treatment modality.

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Exercise Therapy; Fasciitis, Plantar; Humans; Injections; Outpatients; Walking

PubMed: 27075037
DOI: 10.11622/smedj.2016069

Authors: David C Noriega, Ángel Cristo, Alejandro León...

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world. Players often suffer a variety of injuries, the most common being injuries to muscles and tendons. It is striking that with soccer, being the most practiced sport, and considering that most injuries occur in the lower extremities, plantar fasciitis (PF) is not one of the most frequent injuries (at least in terms of clinical data collected). The purpose of this review was to provide a comprehensive update of the topic "plantar fasciitis" focusing on soccer players. The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reportiog ltems for Systmiatic reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. PubMed, Cochrane Library and Scopus were researched. PICO (Patient, Population or Problem; Intervention; Comparison; and Outcome) components were identified. The keywords used were "plantar fasciitis", "plantar fasciitis and sport", "plantar fasciitis risk factors", "plantar fasciitis soccer" and "plantar fasciitis football players". With respect to the objective proposed for the research, we found eight specific articles focused on soccer. Of these, five were general reviews discussing the different methods of treatment of this pathology, and we have only found three studies that focused on PF in soccer, with two of them referring to a clinical case whereby the report and discussion only dealt with the specific treatment followed by the soccer player. After reviewing the manuscripts included in this work, we were surprised that there is no data in which the Silfverskiöld test was performed, as this test explores the passive mobility of the ankle and the degree of dorsiflexion in the supine position. We concluded that soccer players suffer pain in the sole of the foot compatible with plantar fasciitis; however, as indicated by Suzue et al., it is often not diagnosed because the athlete does not consider performing the clinical examinations necessary for its diagnosis. The shortage of reported publications in soccer may mask other PF-associated injuries.

Topics: Humans; Ankle; Ankle Joint; Fasciitis, Plantar; Foot; Soccer

PubMed: 36361304
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114426

Review

Authors: Anette Marianne Fedder, Anne-Mette Hvas, Mikala Wang...

Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) is a serious infection with a mortality of up to 25% at three months. This review gives an overview of the diagnosis and treatment of NSTI. The prognosis is dependent on rapid surgical treatment, aggressive, prompt removal of infected tissue, broad spectrum antibiotic treatment and supportive care. In cases with suspected or verified infection with Streptococcus pyogenes, adjuvant therapy with immunoglobulins can be considered.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Fasciitis, Necrotizing; Humans; Soft Tissue Infections; Streptococcus pyogenes

PubMed: 36178178
DOI: No ID Found

Review

Authors: M Peetermans, N de Prost, C Eckmann...

BACKGROUND

Necrotizing skin and soft-tissue infections (NSTI) are rare but potentially life-threatening and disabling infections that often require intensive care unit admission.

OBJECTIVES

To review all aspects of care for a critically ill individual with NSTI.

SOURCES

Literature search using Medline and Cochrane library, multidisciplinary panel of experts.

CONTENT

The initial presentation of a patient with NSTI can be misleading, as features of severe systemic toxicity can obscure sometimes less impressive skin findings. The infection can spread rapidly, and delayed surgery worsens prognosis, hence there is a limited role for additional imaging in the critically ill patient. Also, the utility of clinical scores is contested. Prompt surgery with aggressive debridement of necrotic tissue is required for source control and allows for microbiological sampling. Also, prompt administration of broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy is warranted, with the addition of clindamycin for its effect on toxin production, both in empirical therapy, and in targeted therapy for monomicrobial group A streptococcal and clostridial NSTI. The role of immunoglobulins and hyperbaric oxygen therapy remains controversial.

IMPLICATIONS

Close collaboration between intensive care, surgery, microbiology and infectious diseases, and centralization of care is fundamental in the approach to the severely ill patient with NSTI. As many aspects of management of these rare infections are supported by low-quality data only, multicentre trials are urgently needed.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Critical Illness; Debridement; Disease Management; Fasciitis, Necrotizing; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Skin; Soft Tissue Infections

PubMed: 31284035
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.06.031