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: the importance of proper footwear.

Retronychia is commonly underdiagnosed and exhibits classic features of proximal nail fold elevation and nail plate layering. Herein we summarize the literature and discuss cause, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition.

Management of ingrowing nail.

For decades, there has been debate about the cause of ingrown nail: is the nail plate or the periungual tissue at fault? There is no consensus and management relies on case-by-case analysis followed by tailored treatment. Conservative treatment should be attempted in children when the cause is transient (e.g., poor clipping) or the patient refuses surgery. Surgical treatments rely on two main approaches: either narrowing the nail plate, or debulking the soft tissue. It is up to the surgeon to select the most appropriate approach in each case. All procedures discussed in this chapter have high cure rates as long as they are properly performed. As with all surgical procedures, they are operator-dependent. Chemical cautery is the easiest and most versatile technique that may help in almost all instances for lateral ingrowth. For distal ingrowth and very hypertrophic and exuberant lateral folds, debulking with primary or secondary healing is most effective.

Assessment of Ingrown Toenails Treated with Nail Fold Cryotherapy in Adolescent Patients: An Observational Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Cryotherapy reduces pain by making some reversible functional changes in peripheral nerves. It has also been reported to have a positive effect on the regression of inflammation and granulation tissue. Few studies have evaluated the efficacy and safety of nail fold cryotherapy in ingrown toenails (IGTN) in adults, and there are no studies in the pediatric population. We aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of cryotherapy applied to the nail fold in juvenile IGTN. METHODS: This study was conducted in adolescent patients aged 12 to 16 years with unilateral juvenile IGTN. Liquid nitrogen was sprayed into the nail fold for 10 to 15 seconds with a double freeze-thaw cycle. The effectiveness of cryotherapy was interpreted by the clinician's decision, the improvement in visual analogue scale score, Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index score, and granulation tissue. RESULTS: According to the physician, good efficacy was achieved in 91.7% of patients (n = 22 of 24). We found that 54.5% of them (n = 12 of 22) were still in remission after 6 months. Rates of complete regression in granulation tissue were pronouncedly less in sizes larger than 5 mm (≤5 mm, 55.6%; >5 mm, 16.7%). However, adequate symptomatic relief was observed in 83.3% of stage 3 patients, even if complete granulation tissue response was not achieved yet. Significant improvements in visual analogue scale and the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index scores were observed after cryotherapy (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Nail fold cryotherapy is a useful alternative among conservative methods because of its rapid and high efficiency (91.7%), especially in mild to moderate cases, despite the high recurrence rates (45.5%) in juvenile IGTN.

Effects of a Training Course for Andalusian Podiatrists on Antibiotic Management in Ingrown Toenail Infections: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: The use of antibiotics (ABs) for the prevention and management of infections has been widespread for decades and, at this time, AB resistance is a global health crisis. The available evidence highlights the need to reduce the prophylactic and therapeutic use of ABs to avoid associated risks. METHODS: A preliminary study with a total sample of 56 Andalusian (Spain) podiatrists was surveyed. The purpose of this study was to identify whether there were changes in prescription habits from a situation before a subsequent training course on AB indications for the management of infections associated with ingrown toenails. An ad hoc questionnaire of 15 items related to therapeutic and prophylactic prescriptions of ABs was developed for this purpose, and the evaluation was carried out before and after the training course. RESULTS: The responses obtained before and after training were compared. The training activity led to improvements in the prescription habits of the participants, producing significant changes in the prescription pattern of the professionals in 10 of the 15 items. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this preliminary study show that the podiatrists surveyed improved the rational use of systemic AB therapy in ingrown toenails infections.

A survey of the treatment and management of ingrown toenails by UK podiatrists: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Ingrown toenails are a common pathology. Although a range of conservative and surgical measures are widely used for this condition, little is known about their use in practice. This study explored current practice relating to the treatment or management of ingrown toenails by podiatrists in the UK. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA) conducted between March to June 2020 was distributed to practicing podiatrists treating or managing ingrown toenails in the UK. RESULTS: A total of 396 practicing podiatrists responded (60.1% based in the private sector). The majority (88.6%) performed nail surgery most commonly (54.3%) less than five a month. Nearly all (95%) only performed nail avulsion with or without chemical matrixectomy, universally using phenol (97.2%). Application time and number of applications varied but was most commonly applied three times (61.5%) for a total of 3 minutes (75%). Aftercare varied considerably between public and private sectors, with public sectors offering fewer follow-up appointments. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is a variation in clinical practice throughout the treatment pathway, almost all respondents offered nail avulsion with phenol matrixectomy, whereas very few provided incisional nail surgery. This data provides the most comprehensive description of how UK podiatrists conduct nail surgery for onychocryptosis.

Tratamento da unha encravada: comparação da taxa de cura entre a técnica de fenolização clássica e a técnica de fenolização associada à curetagem da matriz ungueal - é necessária a associação? / Treatment of ingrown nail: comparison of recurrence rates between the nail matrix phenolization classical technique and phenolization associated with nail matrix curettage - is the association necessary?

No Brasil, alguns serviços associam a curetagem da matriz ungueal à fenolização, como tentativa de aumentar a eficácia do tratamento da unha encravada. O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a taxa de cura entre a fenolização e a fenolização associada à curetagem da matriz. Foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo e incluídos 271 cantos encravados. Recorreram 5 por cento após a realização da fenolização, e 7,7 por cento após a fenolização com curetagem da matriz. Não houve diferença estatística entre as duas técnicas, mostrando não ser necessária a associação com a curetagem da matriz. A fenolização mostrou-se eficiente mesmo para o grau III.

Some services in Brazil combine curettage of the nail matrix with phenolization in the treatment of ingrown nails, with the objective of further increasing efficacy. The objective of this research was to compare the cure rates between the phenolization technique and phenolization associated with nail matrix curettage. A retrospective study was done which included 271 cases. There was only a 5 percent recurrence rate for the phenolization procedure, compared with 7.7 percent for combined phenolization/nail matrix curettage. There was no statistically significant difference between the two techniques, which indicated that there is no need for curettage of the nail matrix. Phenolization worked even for level III disease.

Matricectomia com ácido tricloroacético estudo retrospectivo / Trichloroacetic acid matricectomy: a resprospective study

Introdução: O tratamento da unha encravada pode ser conservador ou cirúrgico. O tratamento cirúrgico com matricectomia é o mais efetivo e pode ser realizado de forma mecânica ou química. Embora o fenol seja o agente mais utilizado, o ácido tricloroacético tem revelado bons resultados na matricectomia parcial química da unha encravada. Objetivo: Demonstrar a utilização do ácido tricloroacético como opção no tratamento da unha encravada. Métodos: Foram analisados 33 pacientes, totalizando 37 unhas encravadas que foram submetidas à matricectomia com ácido tricloroacético 50%, após exerese parcial da lâmina ungueal.Avaliaram-se os fenômenos agudos no período pós-operatório imediato e a efetividade do tratamento, em relação à recorrência de unha encravada no local tratado, após período variável de sete a 24 meses. Resultados: A taxa de sucesso do tratamento foi de 70,27%. Observaram-se leve exsudação pós-cirúrgica, ausência de necrose tecidual e boa cicatrização. Conclusão: A matricectomia com ácido tricloroacético apresenta poucos efeitos colaterais, é de fácil manuseio e tem boas taxas de resolutividade, podendo ser alternativa no tratamento da unha encravada.

Introduction: The treatment of ingrown nails can be conservative or more invasive, including surgical methods. Surgical treatment through matricectomy is the most effective and can be performed mechanically or chemically. Although phenol is the most commonly used agent, trichloroacetic acid has led to satisfactory results in the partial chemical matricectomy of ingrown nails. Objective:To describe the use of trichloroacetic acid as an option to treat ingrown nails. Methods: 33 patients were analyzed, with 37 ingrown nails subjected to matricectomy with 50% trichloroacetic acid following the partial exeresis of the nail plate. Acute phenomena were assessed in the immediate post-operative period.Treatment effectiveness regarding the recurrence of the ingrown nail in the treated site was assessed 7 to 24 months after the procedure. Results: The treatment’s success rate was 70.72%. Light post-surgical exudation, the absence of tissular necrosis and good healing process were observed. Conclusion: Trichloroacetic acid matricectomy is an effective treatment for ingrown nails: it causes few side effects, is easy to perform and has good resolution rates.

Onicocriptosis en pediatría: tratamiento conservador y espiculotomía / Onichocryptosis in pediatrics: conservative treatment and spiculectomy

La onicocriptosis (de onyx, uña y kriptos, oculto) constituye elprincipal motivo de consulta por dolor ungueal.Es la penetración del borde lateral de la lámina ungueal en la pared del pliegue lateral, con dolor e inflamación del tejidocircundante.La expresión clínica oscila entre eritema, edema y dolor a lapresión del pliegue lateral, hasta la infección secundaria y la impotencia funcional.Se trata de una onicopatía mecánica, casi exclusiva del primer dedo del pie, que reconoce múltiples causas.Presentamos el manejo terapéutico en pediatría mediante medidas conservadoras y espiculotomía.

Tratamento de disfunções ungueais com órteses / Treatment of nail disorders using orthesis

Neste artigo abordaremos causas comuns de afecções ungueais que causam dor: a hipercurvatura transversa da unha (HT) e a onicocriptose.A primeira tem como etiologia principal o fator hereditário e deformidades dos artelhos, enquanto a segunda também pode estar associada à má poda das unhas e uso inadequado de calçados.Tanto a HT quanto a onicocriptose podem advir de disfunções na biomecânica da marcha. Uma HT pode evoluir para onicocriptose e por isso seus tratamentos muitas vezes são semelhantes, tanto cirúrgica quanto conservadoramente.Dentre os tratamentos, este artigo enfoca o conservador, particularmente a aplicação de órteses ungueais, suas indicações e eficácia.

Onicocriptosis: (uña encarnada) / Onicocryptosis: (nail ingrown)

El artículo presenta brevemente la patogenia, sintomatología, etiología y tratamiento de la onicocriptosis. Las uñas son estructuras córneas que se originan en una zona germinal especializada en el extremo dorsal de los dedos. Tienen una función protectora, una función sensorial (aumentan las sensaciones discriminativas del tacto prensil), y una función cosmética. La unidad anatómica ungüeal, la lámina o uña, un sistema de envoltura que aisla la uña denominado cuticular (el hiponiquio y el epiniquio), los pliegues laterales o surcos laterales y el lecho ungüeal. Todas estas estructuras junto con el tejido conjuntivo subungüeal que descansa sobre el periostio de la falange y el tejido subcutaneo del pulpejo del dedo, hacen la unidad digitoungüeal

Correlación de la onicocriptosis con laser de CO2 / Ingrown nails corrections with laser of CO2

Se presentaron 10 casos de onicocriptosis de primer dedo de pie. Se describe la técnica empleada para su tratamiento con laser de CO2. Se destacan su ventajas en cuanto a facilidad y rapidez de la intervención; ausencia de complicaciones y de recidivas en un lapso que osciló entre 6 y 24 meses