Dr. Zuckerman,
Unlike many other foot conditions which are commonly treated with surgery and can be appreciated either grossly or by non-invasive diagnostic means such as x-rays, scans and MRI, diagnosis of neuroma is always presumptive unless and until the suspected neuroma is removed and identified histologically by the clinical pathologist. Owing to this, stated success of surgical procedures for neuroma-type symptoms in no ways proves that an actual neuroma was ever present or that the procedure did, indeed, resolve that particular presumptive diagnosis. There have been a couple of occasions in my hands when, although the characteristic symptoms of a neuroma were present, upon surgery, no neuroma was found. In addition, I had at least one case where their was a cystic mass pressing on an otherwise normal nerve creating symptomatology identical to that of a neuroma.
So what this means, is that simply resolving the patient's neuroma-like complaints does not prove the appropriateness of that procedure for the condition for which the patient was presumable brought to surgery.
Medical history is replete with treatments which may have anecdotally or capriciously relieved symptoms, but for which no basis in medical fact could be established.
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