Mycetoma (Madura foot): A case report.

INTRODUCTION

Mycetoma is a chronic disease, which is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries. We report a rare case of mycetoma located on the foot of a patient living in a temperate-climate country followed by a short discussion.

OBSERVATION: A 50-year-old woman with painless swelling in her left foot. The swelling started after a banal penetrating injury on the sole of her left foot 23 years ago. X-rays images showed multiple osteolytic lesions of the tarsus. The histological analyses identified the fungus madurella mycetomatis. The treatment was radical surgery (amputation). The patient had a tibial prosthesis and recovered an autonomous gait.

DISCUSSION: Mycetoma is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory response often with sinus tract formations due to fungal or bacterial organisms. The infection of the forefoot is quite typical. It is a slowly progressing disease affecting the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissues that can extent to the underlying bones.

CONCLUSION

If it is not diagnosed early on, mycetoma can cause functional and esthetical impairments.