Complications of alcohol injections for Morton’s neuroma

Abstract

Introduction Morton’s neuroma (MN) is a neuropathic metatarsalgia that causes pain in the plantar aspect of the forefoot generally between the third and fourth metatarsal heads. Treatment can be nonoperative or surgical. Among nonoperative procedures, alcohol injections are still commonly used as considered simple, relatively safe and well-tolerated treatment. However, they present transient and minor complications. Methods Two hundred patients with a diagnosis of MN underwent ultrasound-guided injections with a 47.5% alcohol solution between 2013 and 2020. We reviewed the current literature to highlight the known complications of this treatment, comparing them to the complications developed by our patients. Results Three patients out of 200 patients, developed necrosis of skin and subcutaneous tissue not described in previous studies about MN. Conclusions Our study focuses attention on the complications subsequent to the alcohol injection therapy for MN. Patients and surgeons should be aware that in a small number of cases this therapy can be burdened by necrotic complications of the skin.