Hand and foot ulcers in Nigerian diabetics - a comparative study

A total of 160 consecutive diabetic patients were examined for hand and foot ulcers. We found 6 patients with ulcers of the hand. Antecedent trauma, all trivial, was noted in all the patients with ulcers. Five patients with foot ulcers had peripheral neuropathy and 1 patient had occlusive vascular disease. Only 3 of the 10 diabetic foot cases had a history of trauma. The mean age of the patients with hand and foot ulcers was 43 years and 56 years respectively. Staphylococcus was the commonest isolate. Digital gangrene was a more common complication in hand ulcers compared with the foot.