DR P. MARAZZI / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY DR P. MARAZZI / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Amputated toe. Nurse holding the big toe of a 60 year old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus, one week after it was amputated. The toe had gangrene (localised tissue death) resulting from an ulcer, which necessitated amputation to prevent spreading. An ulcer is an open sore that does not heal and may turn necrotic. Type 2 diabetes results from the body's resistance to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. It can lead to neuropathy (nerve damage) and peripheral vascular disease, both risk factors for the development of ulcers. For the toe before amputation, see images M165/355 and M165/356.
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