This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Paronychia

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Paronychia is inflammation involving the folds of tissue around the finger nail or toe nail (1):

  • disruption of the seal (the cuticle) between the proximal nail fold and the nail plate allows an entrance to the invading organism (1,2)
  • pus accumulates between the cuticle and the nail matrix. The area may be swollen, red and tender.

It is the commonest type of hand infection, accounting for about a third of Accident & Emergency hand infections, most progressing to some form of surgical intervention.

Infection involving the eponychium is termed eponychia; extension of infection from one lateral fold to the other is termed a run-around abscess.

Non infectious causes include contact irritants and excessive moisture (2).

Clinically, paronychia can be divided into:

  • acute paronychia
  • chronic paronychia (1)

Click here for an example image of this condition

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.