Tropical idiopathic lower limb gangrene: case report

Tropical idiopathic lower limb gangrene is a rare disease. It was first described by Gelfand amongst the indigenous inhabitants of present day Zimbabwe. It is a bilateral and simultaneous gangrene of both lower extremities due to no obvious cause and usually seen in men during the second and fourth decade of life. The onset is always sudden and the first sign is oedema of both feet accompanied by pain. The patients are usually people who have been previously healthy. This is a report of a clinical variant of the disease.