ABSTRACT
Inflammatory diseases in the foot produce a classic series of signs: heat (calor), redness (rubor), swelling (tumour), pain (dolor) and loss of function of the affected area, and can involve any of the tissues within the foot (see ‘Anatomy of the foot and nail’, page 1). The presence of inflammation may be associated with a raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Inflammation can be either superficial or deep (Table 12). A good knowledge of anatomy will help with identification of the site of deep inflammation, and thus aid diagnosis. General causes of inflammation are given in Table 13.
