Chronic paronychia associated with fluconazole use in two pediatric patients with coccidioidomycosis.

Azoles are frequently used to treat systemic mycoses but have been associated with a number of adverse effects of the skin and skin appendages. Herein we describe two cases of chronic paronychia in pediatric patients receiving fluconazole for coccidioidomycosis. Their clinical characteristics are described, and the literature reviewed.

Retronychia in children: A case series.

BACKGROUND: Retronychia is characterized by proximal ingrowing of the nail plate into the proximal nail fold. It is always associated with the presence of two or more overlapping nail plates under the proximal nail fold, clinical signs of chronic proximal paronychia refractory to antimicrobial treatment, and a yellowish nail that does not grow. It mainly affects young female adults, with less than 30 pediatric cases described in the literature so far. METHODS: Retrospective and observational study of patients between 0 and 18 years with a clinical and/or ultrasound diagnosis of retronychia attending a pediatric dermatology service between December 2020 and January 2022. RESULTS: We identified 9 patients with retronychia, 7 girls and 2 boys. In all cases, the hallux nails were affected with 5 unilateral and 4 bilateral cases. On physical examination we observed the following signs: thickened and opaque nail plate (one patient), yellowish nail plate (7 patients), double nail plate (6 patients), and erythema with edema, pain, and suppuration of the proximal nail fold (7 patients). Ultrasound was performed in 7 patients and specific findings of retronychia were found in 5 of them. All patients received topical treatment and were referred for the appropriate surgical treatment. To date, only one patient underwent nail avulsion, which was followed by complete recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Retronychia is underdiagnosed, particularly in the pediatric population. We present a series of 9 cases of retronychia in children, with clinical and ultrasonographic findings consistent with those of adults. We emphasize the importance of recognizing this entity, which will allow early and adequate treatment.

Retronychia: A Misdiagnosed Cause of Paronychia.

Retronychia refers to the embedding of the nail into the proximal nail fold. Patients present with chronic paronychia in the setting of disrupted nail growth. Nail avulsion is curative and unlike other forms of ingrown nails, it does not tend to recur. We report a case of retronychia who presented with pain and swelling around bilateral great toes. Further examination showed growth of overlapping nail plates, which led to the diagnosis of retronychia. This article emphasizes the clinical features and treatment options available for retronychia, thereby avoiding misdiagnosis.

Surgical Management of Retronychia.

Retronychia is an uncommon type of ingrown nail characterized by ingrowing of the proximal nail plate into the proximal nail fold (PNF), inciting cycles of inflammation. The condition can be symptomatic due to swelling and inflammation of the PNF, but most often it is noticed because of a proximal thickening of the nail plate and the failure of nail to grow distally. It usually affects the great toenails of young females, commonly due to recurrent trauma and footwear-related issues. This condition is difficult to recognize in the initial stages and often requires surgical management when the nail plate becomes significantly impacted. We present a case of retronychia in a 24-year-old lady, who was treated surgically. The report serves to highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in such cases.

Retronychia: A Case Report Including Ultrasound Imaging and Surgical Treatment. / Retroniquia: estudio ecográfico y tratamiento quirúrgico de un caso.

Retronychia is a recently described disorder caused by ingrowth of the proximal nail plate into the proximal nail fold. This situation provokes chronic paronychia refractory to antimicrobial therapy. Ultrasound has been proposed as the noninvasive method of choice to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other differential diagnoses, particularly local tumors and arthritic disease. The presence of 2 or more overlapping nail plates and a reduced distance between the root of the nail plate and the base of the distal phalanx could be the ultrasound hallmarks of this condition. Nail plate avulsion is the treatment of choice and is curative. Knowledge of retronychia is still limited among dermatologists, which can lead to diagnostic and therapeutic errors and delay. This has prompted us to present this new case.

Inflammatory diseases of the nail unit.

inflammatory disorders of the nail unit are frequently encountered in clinical medicine and are a cause of significant morbidity. Psoriasis, lichen planus, chronic paronychia, and trachyonychia will be discussed. An approach to diagnosis and management of these disorders requires knowledge of nail unit anatomy, consideration of associated systemic manifestations, and patient education with respect to prognosis and management of factors that will maximize disease improvement. The nail unit responds with a limited number of signs to disparate clinical entities such that there is some overlap in clinical presentation between inflammatory conditions. Nail unit biopsy may therefore be useful in establishing a specific diagnosis.

Diagnosis using the proximal and lateral nail folds.

This article includes the etiology and pathophysiological data of each entity, classifying them as dermatologic, systemic, infectious, neoplastic, traumatic, and other classifications. The entities inherent to the periungual folds are also included, such as acute paronychia, chronic paronychia, retronychia, hangnails, hematomas of the proximal fold caused by oximeter, onychocryptosis, hypertrophy of the lateral folds, and infections caused by Candida albicans, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, pathologies caused by diabetes mellitus, sepsis, endocarditis, drug reactions, and finally less frequent diseases that also affect the nail folds are discussed.

Chronic paronychia in a hairdresser.

Chronic paronychia is a common occupational disease. It is multifactorial and affects a number of different groups of workers. However, the condition is not described as affecting hairdressers although hairdressing is associated with a range of other occupation-related hand conditions. We report an unusual case of chronic paronychia in a female hairdresser which occurred as a consequence of a hair shaft penetrating beneath the nail fold. Personal hygiene with thorough removal of any hairs that have penetrated the epidermis and wearing clean gloves can prevent the condition. We suggest that clinicians should be aware of the types of occupation and mechanisms involved in patients developing chronic paronychia.

Management of chronic paronychia.

Chronic paronychia is an inflammatory disorder of the nail folds of a toe or finger presenting as redness, tenderness, and swelling. It is recalcitrant dermatoses seen commonly in housewives and housemaids. It is a multifactorial inflammatory reaction of the proximal nail fold to irritants and allergens. Repeated bouts of inflammation lead to fibrosis of proximal nail fold with poor generation of cuticle, which in turn exposes the nail further to irritants and allergens. Thus, general preventive measures form cornerstone of the therapy. Though previously anti-fungals were the mainstay of therapy, topical steroid creams have been found to be more effective in the treatment of chronic paronychia. In recalcitrant cases, surgical treatment may be resorted to, which includes en bloc excision of the proximal nail fold or an eponychial marsupialization, with or without nail plate removal. Newer therapies and surgical modalities are being employed in the management of chronic paronychia. In this overview, we review recent epidemiological studies, present current thinking on the pathophysiology leading to chronic paronychia, discuss the challenges chronic paronychia presents, and recommend a commonsense approach to management.

Atypical chronic sterile paronychia leading to tissue and joint space destruction in a patient with thromboangiitis obliterans.

We report the case of a patient with severe thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease) and untreated paronychia which eroded into the digital joint space causing acrolysis of digits and significant soft tissue and joint destruction.

Retronychia : four new cases.

Retronychia (RN) refers to the incarnation of the nail plate in the proximal nail fold. We report four clinical cases of this little-known pathology, where there may be a long delay in diagnosis. RN exhibits a triad of clinical features, which are chronic paronychia, liquid discharge from under the nail fold and disruption of the linear nail growth. Chronic paronychia is often confused with bacterial or fungal infection. Empirical antibiotic treatment is not useful. Nail plate avulsion is the diagnostic and curative procedure of choice. Subsequent nail growth is normal without dystrophia and no recurrences are observed. Knowledge of this pathology avoids misdiagnosis, unnecessary antibiotic or local treatments and allows adequate surgical management.