Acute Calcific Tendinitis of the Forefoot in Young Women- A Presentation of Two Cases

Abstract

Introduction: Calcific tendinitis is an uncommon presentation in the forefoot with relatively few cases reported in the medical literature. It is commonly overlooked and should form part of a differential diagnosis when assessing patients presenting with acute pain of the forefoot localised to a single joint or tendon. We present two cases of young women involved in amateur running and martial arts respectively who presented with acute pain of their forefoot. Case Description: These 2 cases describe a 44 year old amateur female runner and 23 year old female martial arts athlete who presented with acute onset of pain affecting the dorsal aspect of their great toe interphalangeal joint and base of 1st metatarsal respectively. Both patients had tender erythematous swellings at the site of pain and difficulty weightbearing. Plain radiography revealed areas of calcification at the respective sites which was confirmed with ultrasound. Both patients underwent US guided corticosteroid injections with significant symptom improvement within 48 hours of injections and rapid return to sport. Discussion: These two cases demonstrate an atypical presentation of acute calcific tendinitis affecting the forefoot and add two more cases to the reported literature. Combining the characteristic clinical presentation of acute pain affecting a tendon or joint with a tender erythematous swelling on examination with the typical radiographic features of calcification can promptly diagnose this often misdiagnosed condition and avoid unnecessary investigations. Conservative treatment and intralesional injection with corticosteroids can lead to rapid resolution and favourable patient outcomes.