Fracture of the fifth digit. An atypical presentation

Digital fractures are a common injury in the forefoot. Most fractures, however, do not present relatively free of pain. When they present without pain or with few symptoms, they may be overlooked or misdiagnosed. The following is a case presentation of a patient who presented to Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hospital after trauma to the right fifth toe. The case was atypical in that the patient was asymptomatic despite the recent injury. Rapid conservative intervention by the patient at home, coupled with sensory neuropathy secondary to diabetes, can alter the clinical presentation as witnessed in this case. An appropriate history and physical examination combined with radiographs were essential to an otherwise ordinary clinical presentation.